On Monday, June 16, POSCO INTERNATIONAL held a signing ceremony with the Korea Customs Service at its Songdo, Incheon headquarters for a “Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) obtain AEO* certification,” which was attended by Lee Kye-In, CEO of POSCO INTERNATIONAL; Ko Kwang-Hyo, Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service; and representatives from both organizations.
*Authorized Economic Operator (AEO): A trade-related entity certified by the Korea Customs Service for compliance with regulations and safe management of logistics, receiving benefits such as expedited customs clearance
This MOU provides SMEs with POSCO INTERNATIONAL’s expertise on operating AEOs free of charge, thus enabling them to smoothly obtain AEO certification and benefits from enhanced customs privileges.
The AEO certification support program is set to run for four years until 2028, and discussions on specific support measures were held during the signing ceremony.
POSCO INTERNATIONAL will systematically support the whole process of AEO certification by leveraging its own experience in obtaining the certification by providing △training tailored to each company, △practical consulting for the certification, and △ongoing monitoring and post-management, while the Korea Customs Service enhances administrative support by △expediting the customs clearance process with dedicated review teams and △providing advisory services and legal information.
*(Dec. 2013) Certified for import/export (both Grade A) ⇨ (Mar. 2019) First renewal (maintained Grade A) ⇨ (Dec. 2022) Upgraded to Grade AA ⇨ (Apr. 2024) Second renewal (maintained Grade AA)
Notably, as this project is funded by POSCO INTERNATIONAL’s mutual cooperation funds, SMEs can participate and obtain AEO certification without any additional costs, such as consulting fees.
SMEs certified as AEO will enjoy benefits such as expedited customs clearance, reduced inspection rates, and exemptions from customs investigation.
These customs benefits, including expedited clearance and reduced inspection rates, extend beyond Korea to major countries with Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs)*, such as the United States, Japan, and China, and are expected to strengthen the export competitiveness of the Korean SMEs.
*AEO Mutual Recognition Arrangement (AEO MRA): Korea has signed MRAs with 25 countries, with 20 in effect, as of May 2025, which is an agreement between countries where an AEO certification granted in one country is recognized by another, thereby granting benefits to the AEOs
“Through this MOU, we will spare no effort in providing tailored on-site support to help SMEs secure competitiveness in the global market,” POSCO INTERNATIONAL CEO Lee Kye-In stated. “We will contribute to the sustained capacity building of our partners and export/import SMEs, realizing POSCO Group’s value of mutual growth.”
“We hope export SMEs will actively participate in this support program to benefit from trade with AEO MRA countries,” Commissioner Ko Kwang-Hyo of the Korea Customs Service responded. “The Korea Customs Service will continue to closely collaborate with the private sector to improve the export/import environment and enhance the international competitiveness of SMEs.”
