China-Mongolia Customs AEO Mutual Recognition Arrangement Officially Comes into Effect

On June 1, the Arrangement between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Customs General Administration of Mongolia on the Mutual Recognition of the AEO Systems (hereinafter referred to as the "Mutual Recognition Arrangement") officially came into effect. The arrangement has been met with enthusiasm from enterprises engaged in bilateral trade.

According to statistics, nearly 80 AEO-certified companies under Guangzhou Customs currently conduct trade with Mongolia. In the first five months of this year, these enterprises recorded a total trade volume of over RMB 47 million, representing a year-on-year growth of approximately 8%.

With the implementation of the arrangement, China has now established AEO mutual recognition partnerships with 49 countries and regions. Under this framework, AEO-certified enterprises from both countries will benefit from a range of customs clearance facilitations when importing goods into each other's territory. These include reduced document review rates, lower inspection rates, priority inspections, designated customs liaisons, and expedited clearance, all of which are expected to significantly shorten clearance times and reduce the cost of international trade.

"With the implementation of the China-Mongolia AEO Mutual Recognition Arrangement, we anticipate our cargo delivery times will be shortened from three days to two, and our overall trade costs may be reduced by around 10%. This will help us further consolidate and expand our presence in overseas markets," said Xu Yan, Head of Customs Affairs at Dayun Motorcycle Co., Ltd., based in Guangzhou.

To ensure that more exporters can benefit from the policy dividends of AEO mutual recognition, Guangzhou Customs has taken active steps to support key industries, major local projects, and new forms of foreign trade. The administration has established a priority AEO enterprise cultivation list and employed technologies such as VR and smart laser projection systems to visually interpret and explain AEO standards in greater detail. This dual-track approach-targeted and intelligent-aims to upgrade the quality and competitiveness of enterprises from individual breakthroughs to coordinated development across entire supply chains.

"The implementation of the AEO Mutual Recognition Arrangement will make customs clearance smoother for Chinese exports such as trucks and electromechanical products entering Mongolia. Likewise, Mongolian exports like wool and agricultural by-products will be able to enter the Chinese market more efficiently, enriching consumer choices in both countries," said Wang Shenglou, Deputy Director of the Enterprise Management and Audit Division at Guangzhou Customs.

He added that Customs authorities will continue to leverage AEO training bases and the "Policy Express" outreach program to conduct online and offline guidance and training. These efforts aim to help more businesses obtain AEO certification and enjoy "credit empowerment" in international trade-making cross-border trade channels faster, more efficient, and more reliable.