KCS strengthens U.S. expedited customs support for domestic AEO companies

The Korea Customs Service (KCS) announced on November 10 that it will ensure 224 domestic exporters certified as Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) can receive expedited customs clearance benefits in the United States. To achieve this, KCS conducted a full survey of the U.S. Manufacturer Identification Numbers (MID) issued to these companies and will provide the information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

AEO-certified companies enjoy various benefits domestically, including reduced inspection rates, expedited inspections, exemption from submitting certain documents for import declarations, and tax facilitation. Under mutual recognition agreements (MRAs), AEO companies in partner countries can also enjoy the same expedited customs benefits as domestic AEO firms. Currently, South Korea has MRA arrangements with 20 countries, including the U.S. and China.

However, in the case of the U.S., CBP uses MIDs to identify AEO companies. Since MIDs are issued differently for each importer, some U.S. systems have failed to recognize certain Korean AEO companies, preventing them from receiving expedited clearance.

By providing an updated list of MIDs, KCS aims to ensure accurate reflection in CBP systems and plans to cooperate with the agency to continuously update information for newly certified AEO companies and any changes in MID assignments.