Kyocera Document Solutions Europe has successfully passed the on-site validation audits conducted by EU Customs and is now certified as an Authorised Economic Operator (AEO), a counter-terrorism and global trade certification.
Continued growth in global trade and increasing security threats, especially since the 11th September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre, impact international movement of goods and have forced customs authorities to increasingly shift their focus to securing the flow of international trade.
Through this AEO Certification, Kyocera has proven itself to have high-quality internal processes in place that protect goods in transit across the world by meeting the following criteria: customs compliance, appropriate record-keeping, financial solvency and appropriate security and safety standards.
Kyocera Document Solutions Headquarters in Japan and Europe are now AEO certified with the Americas covered by C-TPAT.
“Completing the stringent processes to achieve the EU AEO and US C-TPAT certification demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing our customers across the globe with the industry’s most innovative solutions and the highest service quality and security measures available,” says Takahiro Sato, president of Kyocera Document Solutions Europe.
Both the AEO and C-TPAT programs are voluntary supply chain security initiatives led by EU and US Customs Organisations focused on improving supply chain security for all organisations from SMEs to large corporations, with respect to terrorism.
An annual self-assessment and audit by Dutch and German customs will be necessary to maintain certification in Europe, recognising that through close cooperation global customs initiatives can provide the highest level of security. The increased profile of AEO globally will ultimately result in faster movement of goods through borders, resulting in fewer delayed shipments and better communications with business partners.