At the invitation of the Director General of Paraguay Customs, Mr. Julio Fernandez Frutos, the World Customs Organization (WCO) attended the International Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) event, held in Asuncion, Paraguay on 29 October 2019.
In his opening remarks, the Director General of Customs stressed the importance of the partnership between the Private Sector and Customs to ensure the security of the supply chain. He added that this strategic partnership will also translate into tangible and intangible benefits, including lowering trade costs, which are elevated since Paraguay is a landlocked country. During the event, the first two AEO Companies were certified and more are in the process of getting their certification.
The WCO representative provided an overview of the AEO Programmes around the world and the regional achievements, including the signing of an action plan for a Regional AEO Programme, several pluri-lateral Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs), an MRA between MERCOSUR and the Andean Community, MERCOSUR and the Pacific Alliance, amongst others. Paraguay is already part of several of the MRAs mentioned.
The WCO is committed to supporting Paraguay Customs efforts to strengthen its AEO Programme from both a national and regional perspective. For more information, please contact Capacity.Building@wcoomd.org.