The Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) is a reliable and secure operator that intervenes in the international movement of goods on behalf of a national Customs administration, after an audit process of its organization, processes, administration and financial statements, and the compliance with a series of safety standards. The Authorized Economic Operators can be manufacturers, importers, exporters, dispatchers, carriers, intermediaries, port, airport, terminal, or warehouse operators or distributors.

Currently, many countries have programs of authorized economic operators, there are 60 programs within the 87 countries: the 27 countries of the European Union (OAS), the United States (C-TPAT), Canada (PIP), China, Japan , New Zealand, Republic of Korea and Singapore. In Latin America there are already AEO programs in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Jamaica, Uruguay and Brazil, to which the Bolivian AEO program joins. Other countries in the region, such as El Salvador, Ecuador, and Chile are in an advanced phase of program design.

Currently, the responsibility for securing the international supply chain does not rest solely with Customs; rather, it requires the participation of exporters, importers, customs brokers, carriers, concessionaires, consolidators and deconsolidators, couriers, and cargo airlines.

Faced with this need to regulate this environment and seeking a balance between security and facilitation, the World Customs Organization (WCO) issued the Framework of Standards for Security and Trade Facilitation, known as the “SAFE Framework”, which is the platform designed to be the starting point when implementing AEO Programs, which contains a set of guidelines as minimum guidelines for action to improve international customs management aimed at creating a balance between security and facilitation of foreign trade.

Said Framework (SAFE) rests on two pillars, the Customs - Customs relationship that promotes cooperation between customs from different countries and the Customs - Companies relationship that promotes an alliance between customs and companies.

The customs administration awards direct and indirect benefits to those companies committed to complying with customs regulations and providing reliability in the international supply chain.

Este ha sido un año de apertura internacional con la firma de dos Acuerdos de Reconocimiento Mutuo en la región entre la Aduana de México con las aduanas de Corea y de EE.UU. A sabiendas que los programas OEA se están consolidando, se espera que durante el 2015 se pueda celebrar más acuerdos de esta naturaleza en beneficio propio de las aduanas y del sector privado.