The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Friday announced the launch of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Operational Guidelines to modernize customs operations and enhance trade competitiveness in the Philippines.
Developed in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry and ARISE Plus Philippines, the guidelines provide a standardized framework for implementing the AEO program, which was launched in 2019.
The BOC defines the AEO program as a key initiative to balance trade facilitation and security, allowing trusted trade partners to clear their goods with minimum or zero customs border intervention.
The guidelines aim to reduce transaction costs, improve predictability, and foster a more secure and facilitative trading environment by streamlining customs procedures and clarifying the roles of stakeholders.
“By providing compliant businesses with greater predictability and efficiency in cross-border trade, the program fosters competitiveness while upholding the integrity of the supply chain,” the BOC said in the guidelines.
The launch coincided with the culmination of the four-year ARISE Plus Philippines Project by the International Trade Centre.
BOC deputy commissioner Agaton Teodoro Uvero said the turnover “signifies the beginning of a new chapter for the Bureau as [they] move forward with the implementation and institutionalization of the AEO Guidelines,” even as it concludes the agency’s collaboration with ARISE Plus Philippines.
The agency expects the guidelines to strengthen public-private collaboration, enhance compliance, and facilitate smoother cross-border trade.
