The Customs Department is about to seal deals for the Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) mutual recognition programme associated with international trade supply chain security with another five counterparts by next year.
Thailand plans to sign the agreements with three countries -- Japan, Malaysia and Singapore -- this year, and Britain and Australia next year, said Kulit Sombatsiri, director-general of the department.
The department has already signed such cooperation agreements with Hong Kong and South Korea.
The World Customs Organization (WCO), the international association for customs cooperation across the world, set a standard framework for security and trade facilitation called SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade, of which AEO is a party. It is meant to encourage customs and the private sector to be aware of the safety of the international shipping process from the origin of transport.
Thailand has given AEO certifications to 345 companies, of which 244 have been subject to post-authorisation audits every three years since 2013. Companies and customs brokers with AEO certification are expected to reach 500 by the end of this year, said Mr Kulit.
To be eligible for AEO status, companies are required to have juristic persons registered in Thailand and paid-up capital of least 5 million baht. They must also have posted profit for the last two accounting years, conduct a business related to imports or exports for at least three years, having no customs offence record concerning smuggling as defined by the Customs Act, and have a control plan, with management and an assessment of the risks of doing business without certification.
For customs brokers, additional qualifications include being able to complete Thai e-customs procedures electronically and employing at least one full-time customs expert, certified by Customs Department.
There are 74 AEO countries around the world. Mr Kulit said the AEO programme is an indicator used in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business metrics. Companies with AEO certification accounted for 46.1% of last year's total import value.