Guatemala (SAT) and the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) concerning the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status.
The Superintendent of SAT, Marco Livio Díaz Reyes, and the acting Commissioner of CBP, Troy A. Miller, signed the agreement, accompanied by SAT's Customs Superintendent, Mg. Werner Ovalle, and the director of the CTPAT Program, Manuel Garza, during the Trade Facilitation and Cargo Security Summit 2023, an event organized by the United States Customs and Border Protection, which brought together government stakeholders, industry, the private sector, and other customs authorities from April 17th to 19th in Boston, MA to discuss requirements and exchange experiences and best practices regarding the challenges faced by global trade.
The MRA aims to foster secure and efficient trade between both countries by implementing more agile and effective customs processes. The agreement also seeks to strengthen cooperation in supply chain security, benefiting companies validated by both institutions under the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status of the World Customs Organization (WCO) in the case of SAT and the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) by CBP.
In an interview with WBO, SAT's Customs Superintendent, Mg. Werner Ovalle, expressed that: "For SAT, it has been essential to work with WBO, addressing the WCO's SAFE framework's goals, with significant support in the processes of institutional strengthening concerning the Authorized Economic Operator status for more agile and secure trade." In this regard, Mg. Ovalle thanked WBO for having the strategic vision of fostering a cooperative relationship with SAT Guatemala as a fundamental part of strengthening the public-private partnership for the benefit of international trade.
From left to right, Mg. Werner Ovalle - SAT's Customs Superintendent, Troy A. Miller - Acting Commissioner of CBP, and Marco Livio Díaz Reyes - Superintendent of SAT.
About the joint work between CBP-SAT-WBO
In 2021, the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the World BASC Organization (WBO) signed a Joint Declaration reaffirming their commitment to the security of the supply chain. Both institutions have been working in cooperation since the inception of BASC, and for over twenty-five (25) years, they have developed joint efforts to promote trade security in the Americas and around the world.
That same year, through the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program, the World BASC Organization signed an inter-institutional agreement with Guatemala Customs Administration (SAT). The agreement represents SAT's fulfillment of the commitments made in 2005 under the SAFE framework of the World Customs Organization concerning cooperation with the private sector.
For CBP, SAT, and BASC, this agreement represents a significant advancement in implementing trade facilitation policies and supply chain security, which will strengthen trade between Guatemala and the United States that will contribute to the economic growth of both countries.
