Sydney, Aug 7: Businesses in Australia and Indonesia are set to benefit from a simplified customs process following the signing of an Authorised Economic Operator Mutual Recognition Arrangement (AEO MRA).
Australian Border Force (ABF) Commissioner, Michael Outram APM, and the Indonesian Director General of Customs and Excise (DGCE), Askolani, signed the Arrangement at the 23rd Customs-to-Customs Talks in Canberra today.
Commissioner Outram stated, “Indonesia is a vitally important partner for Australia, and it is my honour to host today’s Customs-to-Customs Talks and to sign the Arrangement.” This marks Australia’s 11th MRA, promising Australian Trusted Traders (ATT) faster, more efficient, and secure access to one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
Outram emphasised the importance of continued cooperation and information sharing between the two countries on enforcement and trade facilitation matters.
He added, “Following today’s signing, our two agencies will operationalize the Arrangement, which will reap tangible economic and security benefits.”
This MRA is a significant milestone for Outram as it marks his last Customs-to-Customs Talks with Indonesia before concluding his tenure as ABF Commissioner.
He expressed confidence that the long-standing cooperation between the ABF and DGCE would persist into the future.
In the 2022-23 period, Indonesia was Australia’s 13th largest two-way trading partner by value ($26.2 billion) and the 9th largest export market ($15.7 billion).
Indonesia is on track to become one of the world’s ten largest economies by the mid-2030s and the fourth largest by mid-century.
Australia has now signed similar arrangements with Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and India. Indonesia has signed with South Korea, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and ASEAN.
AEO MRAs, as outlined in the World Customs Organisation (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAFE Framework), are agreements between Customs administrations with equivalent AEO programs.
Australian businesses that are part of the international supply chain are encouraged to visit the ABF website to apply for the ATT program.
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