Washington, May 4, 2012 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) welcomed an agreement signed today by the United States and the European Union to recognize each other’s cargo security programs, a goal long sought by businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.
The U.S.-EU Mutual Recognition Decision officially recognizes the compatibility of the U.S. Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and the EU’s Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program. USCIB has long encouraged an agreement between the U.S. and EU that would recognize compatibility between the U.S. and EU cargo security programs.
“Today we congratulate CBP and the EU Taxation and Customs Union Directorate for delivering on the commitment of a mutual recognition agreement, and for continuing to build working partnerships of responsible industry leaders, governments and citizens,” said Jerry Cook, vice president of government and trade relations with HanesBrands, Inc. and chair of USCIB’s Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee.
At an April 2011 meeting in Washington of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) customs commission, Cook urged then-CBP Deputy Commissioner David Aguilar to capitalize on strong U.S.-European ties to establish a mutual recognition agreement with the EU, one of our most trusted trading partners.
C-TPAT is a voluntary government-business initiative to build cooperative relationships that strengthen and improve overall international supply chain and U.S. border security. AEO is a foreign partnership program that is used as a risk-assessment tool, minimizes redundancy, helps provide a common standard for trade facilitation, and allows for better transparency by providing closer collaboration between national customs administrations and companies in their partnership programs.
About USCIB:
USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation. Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world. With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including ICC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment.
Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB
(212) 703-5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org
