In June 2005 the WCO Council adopted the SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAFE Framework) that would act as a deterrent to international terrorism, to secure revenue collections and to promote trade facilitation worldwide. In 2007, the WCO’s flagship Customs-Business partnership programme - the Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) Programme - was introduced.

The SAFE Framework has emerged as the global Customs community’s concerted response to threats to supply chain security, equally supporting facilitation of legitimate and secure businesses. It prescribes baseline standards that have been tested and are working well around the globe. This unique international instrument endeavors to usher in a safer world trade regime and also heralds a new approach to working methods and partnership for both Customs and business towards a common goal based on trust.

Advancing secure, efficient, and innovative international trade

The 2025 edition of the SAFE FoS reflects a modernized approach to the full spectrum of supply chain management and focuses on expanding inter-agency cooperation in new areas. Over the past four years, the WCO has worked diligently, in close collaboration with Customs administrations, Private Sector Consultative Group and various stakeholders, to review and identify the areas in this flagship international tool requiring an update to improve cooperation across WCO Members, AEOs and supply chain actors.

The core elements of the SAFE FoS remain unchanged; this new edition expands and enhances the FoS. Building on best practices and lessons learned by the community serves to strengthen collective defenses and drive continual improvement in many aspects of global trade operations.

Through joint efforts, four key areas have been added that reflect the realities of today’s supply chain and trade environment.

The key updates in the FoS 2025 are:

• New provisions to enhance collaboration with environmental authorities to increase the focus on global climate change and reflect the desire of Customs to support the global sustainability agenda. By recognizing the linkages between trade, environment, and security, this edition recognizes the importance of environmental authorities. Alignment of procedures and controls for applicable standards between Customs and environmental authorities will support sustainability of trade.
• Recognition that MSME’s should be part of the AEO programme. The WCO and its members determined it was time to expand the reach of AEO programmes to Micro-sized enterprises along with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs). A focus on inclusivity for the eligibility of AEO programmes and the tailoring of standards to the MSMEs' unique needs will serve to further expand opportunities for secure trade and increase sustainable economic growth of businesses of all sizes.
• A requirement for AEOs to adopt a Code of Conduct (Ethics) will serve to enhance the integrity and accountability of the supply chain for AEOs and Customs. The addition of this requirement, with a focus on ethics, demonstrates that AEOs are committed to the security of their organization which will facilitate future recognition as trusted traders. By improving integrity in the premises of AEOs, the implementation of Codes of Conduct will contribute to the overall security of international trade.
• Addressing insider threats and internal conspirators is a growing concern. The SAFE FoS 2025 expands upon the joint role that Customs and AEOs play in raising awareness and proactively implementing measures to combat this issue given the risk to the supply chain and security in the trade environment. Now both the AEOs and Customs are encouraged to make every effort to educate their personnel with regard to the risks posed by internal conspirators and insider threats to supply chain integrity.

Implementation

The implementation of each of the three pillars of the SAFE FoS – Customs-to-Customs network arrangements, Customs-to-Business partnerships and Customs-to-other Government Agencies cooperation - is designed to be done as a whole to balance trade facilitation and supply chain security. By implementing the SAFE FoS 2025, all stakeholders can enhance and expand existing cooperation and build trust and transparency in their operations.

The WCO Secretariat hopes that Members of the Organization and its partners from the business community and other international organizations will find the SAFE Package and its contents a valuable aid both in understanding the dynamics of this major WCO instrument and in its global application and implementation

Table of Contents

I. SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade - 2025 edition [2021 edition] [*ar] [*es] [*ru]

• Members who have expressed their intention to implement the WCO Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade

II. Instruments and guidelines relating to the first pillar (Customs-to-Customs)

• Toolkit for Pillar 1
• Customs Guidelines on Integrated Supply Chain Management [es] [ru]
• Guidelines for the Procurement and Deployment of Scanning/NII Equipment
• Documents on UFF
• SAFE Data Element Maintenance Mechanism [es] [ru]
• Advance Cargo Information (ACI) Implementation Guidance
• Handbook of the Customs Convention on Containers, 1972
• Study Report on Smart Security Devices (SSDs)
• Guidance material - SAFE Framework of Standards: Pillar 1, Standard 9

III. Instruments and guidelines relating to the second pillar (Customs-to-Business and Authorized Economic Operator)

• AEO Validator Guide
• AEO Implementation and Validation Guidance [ar] [es] [ru]
• Model AEO Appeal Procedures [es] [ru]
• The Authorized Economic Operator and the Small and Medium Enterprise (FAQ) [ar][es][pt][ru]
• Strategy Guide for AEO Mutual Recognition [ru]
• FAQ on linkages between the SAFE Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme and article 7.7 of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) [ru]
• WCO guidelines on trader identification number (TIN)
• Recommendation of the Customs Co-Operation Council concerning the use of trader identification number (TIN)
• Secretariat Note on expanding the concept of Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) to cross-border e-commerce (2^nd edition)
• Secretariat Note on Expanding the concept of AEO to Free Zone Stakeholders (2^nd edition)
• Online AEO Compendium

IV. Instruments and guidelines relating to the third pillar (Cooperation between Customs and other Government and Inter-Government agencies)

• Coordinated Border Management Compendium
• Single Window Compendium - Volume 1 Volume 2
• Joint WCO/ICAO Brochure [ar] [ch] [es] [ru]
• Joint WCO-ICAO Guiding Principles for Pre-Loading Advance Cargo Information (PLACI) [ar] [ch] [es] [ru]
• Joint WCO-ICAO Guidelines on Alignment of the Customs Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) and AVSEC Regulated Agent (RA)/Known Consignor (KC) Programmes
• Moving Air Cargo Globally - Air Cargo and Mail Secure Supply Chain and Facilitation [ar] [ch] [ru] [sp]
• NEW - Guidelines on Cooperation between Customs and Port Authorities
• NEW - Draft Repository of WCO Members’ practices of collaboration with other regulatory agencies to ensure environmental compliance under Pillar III of the SAFE FoS

V. Trade Recovery Guidelines [es] [ru]

VI. Others tools of interest for the implementation of the SAFE FoS

• Customs-Business Partnership Guidance [es]
• Recommendation on CSDs (Container Security Devices) (June 2013)
• Recommendation of the Customs Co-Operation Council on the Guiding Principles for Data Quality (June 2015)
• WCO Data Model Derived Information Package (DIP) on Advance Electronic Information (AEI) version 3.6.0
• Data Analysis Practitioner's Handbook (June 2018)

Cover: download here.

* _{This translation has been provided by the Regional Office for Capacity Building for the North of Africa, Near and Middle East Region}

* _{Text translated into Spanish from the original English and French versions of the SAFE Framework of Standards- 2012, with the kind collaboration of Argentina’s Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos (AFIP).}