Colombia's National Tax and Customs Directorate (DIAN) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between Colombia's Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program and the United States' Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT).
The Director of Customs Management of DIAN Colombia, Ms. Ingrid Magnolia Diaz, and the Acting Commissioner of CBP, Mr. Troy A. Miller, signed the agreement on April 17th in Boston, Massachusetts, during the CBP Trade Facilitation and Cargo Security Summit 2023. The signing took place in the presence of government stakeholders, industry representatives, the private sector, and other customs authorities, following extensive and productive technical work in which both entities found compatibilities in their AEO and CTPAT programs through a comparative study of their regulations and validation procedures.
In the photo, Mr. Erik Moncayo - International President and Acting Executive Director of WBO, Ingrid Magnolia Diaz - Director of Customs Management of DIAN, Mg. Werner Ovalle - Customs Superintendent of the Tax Administration Superintendence of Guatemala - SAT, and Oscar Sanchez - President of the WBO Board of Directors during the signing of the Mutual Recognition Agreement between Colombia and the United States.
"We hope that this Mutual Recognition Agreement will enhance the competitiveness of Colombian products, contribute to the security of their logistics, strengthen the trade relationship between both countries, and ensure international supply chain security in foreign trade operations," said Luis Carlos Reyes Hernandez, Director-General of DIAN, in an official communication from the entity.
World BASC Organization recognizes the efforts of both countries in strengthening their programs and developing facilitation policies, allowing trade between Colombia and the United States to be reinforced and contributing to the region's economic growth.
Key facts:
In 2022, the Board of Directors and executives of World BASC Organization and the BASC Colombia chapter, in an effort to strengthen cooperation between Colombian and U.S. customs authorities, accompanied DIAN in a series of meetings with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). During these meetings, the importance of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program and its role in international trade facilitation and supply chain security, following the guidelines of the World Customs Organization (WCO), was discussed.
In the months following these meetings, members of the BASC Colombia regional chapters accompanied the validation visits to AEO companies in Colombia, with CBP representatives present as observers, as part of the work plan signed between both customs administrations.
CBP-DIAN-BASC Cooperation:
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the World BASC Organization (WBO) have been working in cooperation since the inception of BASC, and for over twenty-five (25) years, they have jointly promoted trade security in the Americas and around the world. Additionally, the National Tax and Customs Directorate (DIAN) has been one of BASC's strategic allies in Colombia in the fight for supply chain security. BASC has also served as a tool for implementing and maintaining the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program in the country.
