Turkey’s strategic vision for customs and foreign trade is to enhance its commercial activities towards making them the easiest and the safest in the world.
For this vision Turkey has launched its Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Program on 10
th of January 2013.
This program’s aim is to facilitate the foreign trade operations of its traders by minimizing the required lead times and costs. It will also illuminate our already extensively skilled and reliable traders.
The requirements for obtaining the AEO Certificate:
The companies which;
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are reliable,
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have adequate traceable documentation,
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have financial solvency,
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practice the necessary safety and security measures,
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are in operation for at least three years (companies which started operating less than 3 years ago will have to meet other criteria),
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are established in Turkey
can apply for the AEO Certificate.
The Application Process:
Companies which request certification will have to apply with the required documents to the Regional Customs and Trade Directorates they operate with. After the application, regional directorate will examine the submitted documents and decide whether they are appropriate.
If the documents are found appropriate, the regional directorate will send them to the Ministry of Customs and Trade for the audit process to begin. The designated auditors will visit the premises of the company and do a due diligence process and see if the company meets the necessary documentation and implementation as well as necessary safety and security criteria. The auditors will write a report about their findings and send it to the headquarters.
At the headquarters the audit report and submitted documents will be reviewed and certificates will be given to the companies that are found eligible.
The certificate’s validity is indefinite as long as the criteria are met. There will be periodic checks by the Ministry to see if the companies still hold the criteria.
The certificates will be suspended or revoked according to their offences if companies do not comply with the rules set.
The facilitations given to certificate holders:
The certificate holders will have the privilege to ask for the rights of local clearance, authorized consignor status, using lump-sum guarantees, using partial guarantees, to issue A.TR circulation
documents, to issue EUR.MED invoice declaration, to submit incomplete declaration and documents, free alongside ship declaration, laboratory analysis report facilitations, release of the petroleum products before submitting the consignment document, facilitations on similarity checks, summary declaration with reduced data, blue-line facilitations, blue-line facilitations on free alongside ship declarations, fewer documentary and physical controls, control priorities.
The main two facilitations that are connected with the Certificate are:
Local Clearance:
Starting with exports, with the right of local clearance every facility that possess the required conditions will be given the authority to send its shipments without visiting a customs office. All necessary controls will be executed at the facility. This will enable the company to reduce its lead times and eliminate the costs of clearance at the customs office. To obtain this right the company should have a minimum amount of 5 million US $’s of export annually and an AEO certificate. A company could have this right for more than one facility as long as they meet the required conditions. The relevant customs office entitled for necessary controls will be designated by the regional directorate.
Authorized Consignor:
With the right of authorized consignor status, the facilities of the shipping companies that possess the required conditions will be given the authority to transit their clients’ shipments without visiting a customs office. All necessary controls and sealing activities will be executed at the shipping company’s facility. To obtain this right the shipping company should have a minimum amount of 500 transit declarations annually and an AEO certificate. A shipping company could have this right for more than one facility as long as they meet the required conditions. The relevant customs office entitled for necessary controls will be designated by the regional directorate.
The benefits of the AEO Program:
Aside from the rights that provide companies with reduced lead times and costs, the AEO status, with the help of many other country’s similar programs, provide companies with a large window of recognition among international parties. This causes a marketing advantage among their competition.
The greatest benefit arises when Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) are signed with other countries. MRAs provide AEO certificates to be recognized between parties and deliver the facilitations to the recognized AEO certificates of the cosigned country.
The AEO program of Turkey started a new era in customs procedures and it is expected to facilitate the trade of Turkey greatly with its trading partners. The AEO program is a major step to reach our vision of being the country where trade is the easiest and the safest.
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