AEO Agreement with Japan Expanded to U.S. Exports, MRA with Taiwan Signed, Says Aguilar

The U.S. and Japan have agreed to expand Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) agreement to apply to exports from the U.S. being imported in to Japan, said CBP Deputy Commissioner David Aguilar, speaking at the CBP East Coast Trade Symposium Nov. 27. The U.S. signed in 2009 a mutual recognition arrangement (MRA) that recognizes compatibility between the U.S. Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) and Japan's Partners AEO cargo security programs. That agreement didn't apply to U.S. exports to Japan.

(See ITT's Online Archives 09070605 for summary of the 2009 MRA with Japan.)

Aguilar also said he signed a MRA with Taiwan on Nov. 26. The agency has previously said it planned to sign the MRA this fall.

(See ITT's Online archives 12110815 for summary of a recent set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in which CBP discusses the MRA process and efforts toward an MRA with Taiwan.)