Brexit: The traders who aren’t (yet) trusted

BBC News has written article about Trusted Trader concept and its potential role in a post-Brexit trade environment.

It is an interesting article and it does describe only one view on Trusted Trader and AEO, but it misses an important point. UK doesn’t have to use the same AEO programme as EU post-Brexit. In fact, UK shouldn’t. It should develop an own modern multitier Trusted Trader programme.

Having lead the work of inventing the Trusted Trader Concept, and the AEO Standard in the WCO Safe Framework, and being involved in the devlopment of the EU AEO and US C T-PAT models – and after that another plus 50 AEO and TTPs all around the world, I can say that this article only describes one view of TT and it also has several errors.

The EU AEO model is a legacy system that is 10 years old and it is only one of the approx. 80 programmes that are operational in the world for the moment. Modern Trusted Trader Programmes/AEO models are very different from the EU AEO, while still meeting the WCO Standard. The concept is in very fast development, bringing lower thresholds to get in, faster validation, considerbly more benefits, new ways of ensurimg compliance and low risk, more self-assessment, new KPIs and Performance Measurement models and multiagency and stakeholder reach embracing all border agencies/all supply chain stakeholders in single Government Trusted Trader concepts. This is already happening.

Nothing prevents UK from developing a new modern mulititier Trusted Trader programme (incl the present AEO).

Here is the link to the BBC article: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-45813901