On May 8th, the 6th Global Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Conference, hosted by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and co-organized by the General Administration of Customs of China and the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, opened in Shenzhen. The three-day conference included an opening ceremony, 8 plenary sessions, 6 group discussions, 4 keynote speeches, knowledge question-and-answer sessions, and VIP tours. Over 1,200 representatives from customs members of the WCO, international organizations, AEO enterprises, as well as relevant domestic ministries and commissions, local governments, domestic and foreign academic institutions, industry associations, and import and export enterprises from more than 100 countries and regions attended the conference. Recommended by the Changsha Customs, Hunan CNGR Zhengyuan New Material Trade Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of CNGR, participated in the conference and exhibition as the only enterprise from Hunan Province, showcasing CNGR's global presence to the WCO and customs leaders from various countries.
The theme of this conference was "Leveraging the Advantages of AEO System to Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Global Trade," marking the first major international conference hosted by the General Administration of Customs of China. Liu Xingguo, director and vice president of CNGR, was invited to attend the conference on behalf of the company. Ian Sanders, Secretary-General of the WCO, Wang Lingjui, Deputy Director-General of the General Administration of Customs of China, and Tan Weizhong, Mayor of Shenzhen, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Sanders expressed gratitude to the General Administration of Customs and the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government for hosting the conference and welcomed the guests from various countries. Other attendees included Sun Yuning, Deputy Director-General of the General Administration of Customs of China, Li Kuiwen, Director of the Guangdong Sub-Administration, and Wang Shourui, Deputy Mayor of Shenzhen.
After the opening ceremony, relevant leaders and guests visited the exhibition area. The exhibition area featured 36 representative enterprises from around the world, including CNGR. Liu Xingguo, director and vice president of CNGR, Chang Ji, general manager of CNGR's Material Trade Center, and Zhong Hui, director of customs affairs, led the customs team to receive visits from the Director-General of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Customs, the Director-General of the Uruguay Customs, and other customs leaders and representatives of outstanding global enterprises participating in the conference. They introduced CNGR's "New Four Modernizations" development strategy, global industrial layout, core products, and other corporate information. During this period, Xu Xiaojie, Deputy Director of the Changsha Customs, visited the CNGR exhibition stand and expressed high praise for CNGR.
Xu Xiaojie, Deputy Director of the Changsha Customs, visited the exhibition stand
The Director-General of the Uruguay Customs visited the exhibition stand
The Director-General of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Customs visited the exhibition stand
China is an important member of the WCO, and the two sides have maintained close and friendly cooperative relations for a long time. The AEO system has played an important role in promoting economic globalization and regional economic integration. By the end of March 2024, China had signed AEO mutual recognition arrangements (agreements) with 26 economies, covering 52 countries (regions), including 35 countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. The number of signed mutual recognition arrangements (agreements) and mutually recognized countries (regions) ranks first globally. In countries that recognize China's AEO status, AEO high-level certified enterprises can enjoy facilitation measures provided by the Chinese customs. Currently, the Chinese customs is actively expanding the AEO mutual recognition "circle of friends" with foreign countries.
AEO qualification is a golden signboard for enterprises and a green pass for international trade. AEO certification is a high-level certification granted by customs to eligible enterprises, indicating high business credibility and reliability. AEO-certified enterprises enjoy facilitation measures provided by customs, including priority handling, reduced customs clearance costs, reduced inspection frequencies, shortened processing time, and optimized services, totaling 28 measures in 5 categories. In April 2024, 17 additional measures were introduced, including reduced inspection and quarantine frequencies, reduced import and export costs for enterprises, improved intelligence level of facilitation measures, and improved precision level of enterprise services. Hunan CNGR Zhengyuan New Material Trade Co., Ltd. was certified and approved as an AEO high-level certified enterprise by the Changsha Customs on July 5, 2022. Obtaining AEO certification is of great significance to CNGR's international trade business, effectively enhancing the company's trade security level, international image, and competitiveness.
Through this conference, CNGR will integrate international development trends with the AEO system regulations of the China Customs, making full use of AEO benefits to facilitate the rapid customs clearance for CNGR's domestic and overseas bases. Additionally, CNGR proposes to the Customs to promote AEO international mutual recognition between China and the countries where its overseas bases are located. It will also collaborate with Changsha Customs and Shenzhen Customs to actively leverage the advantages of the Customs AEO system, promoting inclusive and sustainable global trade, and enabling the global development of CNGR.
