“The EU AEO programme strikes a balance between increased security requirements and the facilitation of trade for compliant traders. Those traders who meet specific criteria can benefit from simplified customs clearance procedures and deferred payments of customs duties,” said Pierre Faucherand, Minister Counselor, Regional representative from the Directorate General’s Taxation and Customs Union (DG Taxud) in Asia. 
 
The seminar entitled “Security and Trade Facilitation in the International Supply Chain; the new EU security legislation” aimed at bringing Vietnamese manufacturers, importers, exporters and relevant authorities up to speed with the new EU regulations and providing them with the criteria necessary to obtain AEO status. 
 
Any traders that meet these criteria to be recognised as AEO are considered by the EU to be reliable, safe and secure partners in international trade, which also means a higher quality status and better position for them in the EU markets. 
 
These enterprises, moreover, will enjoy priorities regarding customs requirements, for example they will not be required to provide as much data for pre-arrival and pre-departure declarations and will be given advance notice if their containers are selected for inspection. 
 
Addressing the seminar, Deputy Minister of Finance Do Hoang Anh Tuan said that the EU is one of Vietnam’s most important export markets. Two-way trade between Vietnam and the EU hit 9 billion USD during the first 10 months of this year and is expected to exceed 10 billion USD by year-end. 
 
He encouraged Vietnamese export enterprises to learn more about new EU customs regulations, most of which are hitherto unknown, such as e-customs and one-door international trade programmes, so as to fully tap the market.
 
With European technical assistance, the General Department of Vietnam Customs is carrying out an AEO pilot programme which will run until 2010. This would pave the way for the customs body to sign cooperation agreements and mutual recognition of AEO procedures with customs administrations in other countries in the near future. 
 
The seminar forms part of the European Technical Assistance programme for Vietnam phase II (ETV2) which supports Vietnam’s fiscal policy and legal advisory services, taxation and customs procedures.