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CBIC
commemorates 10 years of India’s Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme;
Outlines way forward and reaffirms commitment to trusted trade
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AEO
Programme is pivotal in transforming India’s customs administration into a
modern, trusted and facilitative system aligned with the World Customs
Organisation’s SAFE Framework of Standards: CBIC Chairman
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CBIC
Member (Customs) noted transformation of Customs from a transaction-centric
approach to a risk-based and trust-oriented model of administration since the
introduction of the current AEO framework
·
AEO@10: CBIC celebrated a decade of India’s Authorised Economic Operator (AEO)
Programme on 16
September 2026 in New Delhi under the theme “AEO@10: Accelerating Growth, Enhancing
Trust, Optimizing Trade.”
·
Programme
milestone: Since
the current AEO framework was introduced through Circular No. 33/2016-Customs,
the programme has evolved from a transaction-centric approach towards risk-based, trust-oriented Customs
administration.
·
Current
coverage: 5,967 entities have been
certified under AEO T1,
T2, T3 and LO categories, including importers, exporters,
manufacturers, customs brokers, logistics operators and warehouse operators.
·
Key
benefits: AEO
status provides simplified
Customs procedures, risk-based facilitation, expedited clearance, lower
transaction costs and greater supply-chain predictability,
while maintaining security.
·
WCO
alignment: The
programme is aligned with the World
Customs Organization (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards,
particularly its focus on supply-chain security and Customs-business
partnership.
CBIC
Chairman Vivek Chaturvedi
outlined five key areas:
1.
Technology-driven
facilitation
2.
Radical
inclusivity for MSMEs
3.
Seamless
inter-agency coordination
4.
Global
leadership through expanded Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs)
5.
Synergy
across indirect tax verticals
·
Stakeholder
feedback: CBIC
announced a structured
feedback response form on the AEO portal to obtain continuous
and systematic feedback from AEO entities and other stakeholders.
·
EMI
Scheme: The Eligible Manufacturer Importer (EMI)
Scheme, highlighted in the Union Budget, was described as a
pathway encouraging early compliance and potentially leading businesses towards
higher AEO tiers.
·
EMI
documentation reduced: Under
Circular No.
39/2026-Customs dated 3 September 2026, documents required to
be uploaded under the EMI Scheme have been reduced from 10 to 3, effective 15 September 2026.
Trade-friendly
improvements under consideration include:
·
Unified
SOP for
uniform processing across Customs zones.
·
Clear
checklist for
applicants and Zonal AEO Programme Managers.
·
Single-deficiency
approach.
·
Time-bound
processing.
·
Copy
of deficiency communications to the applicant.
·
Clarification
on financial solvency
requirements.
·
Strengthening
of dedicated Client
Relationship Managers and trained validators.
·
Publication
launched: CBIC
released “A Decade of AEO
in India: Celebrating Trusted Trade Partnerships”, documenting
the programme's evolution and achievements.
·
Industry
feedback: FFFAI
and leading AEO entities highlighted benefits including ease of doing business, lower
transaction costs, faster Customs clearance, operational efficiency and greater
supply-chain predictability.
·
Future
direction: CBIC
intends to strengthen AEO through technology
adoption, MSME inclusion, international cooperation, stakeholder feedback and
enhanced supply-chain security, supporting India's objective of
becoming a preferred destination for global trade and investment.
The
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) on 16 September, 2026
celebrated a decade of India’s Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Programme
with a commemorative event titled “AEO@10: Accelerating Growth, Enhancing
Trust, Optimizing Trade” in New Delhi.
The
event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, logistics stakeholders,
WCO experts and Authorised Economic Operators to reflect on the programme’s
achievements and chart the roadmap for its future.
Addressing
the gathering as Chief Guest, Shri Vivek Chaturvedi, Chairman, CBIC,
underscored the pivotal role played by the AEO Programme in transforming
India’s customs administration into a modern, trusted and facilitative system
aligned with the World Customs Organisation’s SAFE Framework of Standards.
He
noted that the programme has emerged as a cornerstone of India’s trade
facilitation architecture by promoting voluntary compliance, strengthening
supply chain security and enabling faster, more predictable cross-border
movement of goods. The CBIC Chairman outlined five big ideas for the next
decade:
·
technology-driven
facilitation
·
radical
inclusivity for MSMEs
·
seamless
inter-agency coordination
·
global
leadership through expanded Mutual Recognition Arrangements, and
·
synergy
across indirect tax verticals
Highlighting
CBIC’s commitment to stakeholder-centric reforms, the Chairman announced the
launch of a structured feedback response form on the AEO portal to enable
continuous and systematic inputs from AEO entities and other stakeholders.
Drawing
on Pillar 2 of the WCO SAFE Framework and the CBIC Citizens’ Charter, he
emphasised that trade is an equal partner in building a trusted ecosystem and
that feedback must be continuous. He also referred to the Eligible Manufacturer
Importer (EMI) Scheme, highlighted by the Union Finance Minister’s in the Union
Budget speech, as an important stepping stone that rewards early compliance and
creates a natural pathway to higher AEO tiers.
In
his address, Member (Customs), CBIC, recalled the transformation of Customs
from a transaction-centric approach to a risk-based and trust-oriented model of
administration since the introduction of the current AEO framework through
Circular No. 33/2016-Customs. He underlined that voluntary compliance promotes
good governance, reduces supply-chain risk and transaction costs, and that
supply-chain security remains central to the resilience of India’s trade
ecosystem. He noted that important discussions at the annual Customs
Consultative Group meeting held in Kolkata, together with representations from
trade, have informed several trade-friendly process improvements now under
consideration. These include a unified Standard Operating Procedure for uniform
processing across zones; a clear checklist for applicants and Zonal AEO
Programme Managers; a single-deficiency approach; time-bound processing;
copying of deficiency communications to the applicant; a clarified position on
financial solvency; and strengthening of dedicated Client Relationship Managers
and trained validators, in line with the National Trade Facilitation Action
Plan.
The
Member (Customs) also stated that, in the same spirit of reducing compliance
burden, documentation requirements under the EMI Scheme have already been
rationalised through Circular No. 39/2026-Customs dated 3rd September 2026,
bringing down the documents to be uploaded from ten to three, with effect from
15th September 2026.
The
event marked the launch of the commemorative publication “A Decade of AEO in
India: Celebrating Trusted Trade Partnerships”, documenting the evolution,
milestones and impact of India’s AEO Programme over the past ten years, and
incorporating contributions from CBIC officers, international partners, trade
and industry. A stakeholder feedback survey on the AEO Programme was also
announced to obtain structured inputs from industry for guiding future reforms.
In addition, new AEO certificates were presented to select businesses,
recognising their commitment to secure and compliant international trade.
In
her welcome address earlier, Dr. Kavita Bhatnagar, Principal Commissioner and
National AEO Programme Manager, highlighted the remarkable growth of the
programme since its inception and emphasised the importance of continued
collaboration between Customs and the trade community in building a trusted and
resilient trading environment.
Representatives
from leading industry bodies, including the Federation of Freight Forwarders’
Associations in India (FFFAI), appreciated the significant contribution of the
AEO Programme towards improving ease of doing business, reducing transaction
costs and enhancing supply chain predictability. Leading AEO entities also
shared their experiences, highlighting tangible benefits such as expedited
customs clearance, improved operational efficiency and strengthened global
business confidence.
India’s
AEO Programme has, over the past decade, become an important pillar of CBIC’s
trade facilitation initiatives by rewarding compliant businesses with
simplified customs procedures and risk-based facilitation while maintaining
robust supply chain security. As of date, 5,967 entities — comprising
importers, exporters, manufacturers, customs brokers, logistics operators and
warehouse operators — have been certified under the AEO Programme across T1,
T2, T3 and LO categories.
The
programme has steadily expanded its coverage of the logistics chain, digitised
application processes, established dedicated AEO Cells, and introduced special
facilitative provisions for MSMEs. As India continues to expand its engagement
with trusted trading partners across the world, CBIC remains committed to
further strengthening the AEO Programme through stakeholder-centric reforms,
technology adoption, international cooperation and continuous feedback from
trade, thereby contributing to the objectives of Viksit Bharat @2047 and making
India an increasingly preferred destination for global trade and investment.