9 newly certified, 13 renewed or upgraded — firms to receive customs administration benefits
The Korea Customs Service held a certificate presentation ceremony for companies newly recognized as Authorized Economic Operators, a designation granted to firms that meet rigorous standards in legal compliance and safety management and that entitles them to benefits such as expedited customs clearance.
The Seoul Customs Office presented AEO certificates to 21 companies Wednesday at its main conference hall, following review by the third session of the 2026 Korea Customs Service AEO Deliberation Committee.
Nine companies, including Korea Yaskawa Electric and Hannam Hitech, received new certification, while 12 others — among them SK hynix and Samsung C&T — had their existing certifications renewed on the standard five-year cycle. LX International was upgraded one tier, from A to AA.
Certified companies are entitled to a range of customs administration benefits, including reduced inspection rates on import and export goods, expedited clearance through waived document submissions, exemptions from customs audits and foreign exchange inspections, and the elimination of taxable data submissions for imports. Additional benefits include preferential interest rates at Korea Customs Service partner banks — Industrial Bank of Korea and iM Bank — as well as streamlined review processes when seeking trade and logistics certifications from other government agencies.
Each certified company will also be assigned a dedicated account manager to provide one-on-one consultations covering not only post-certification AEO compliance but customs administration matters more broadly.
Domestic AEO certification also carries benefits abroad. Korea has signed mutual recognition arrangements with 25 countries — including the United States, China, Japan, India and Vietnam — that together account for about 80 percent of the country's total trade volume. Certified companies can receive expedited clearance benefits such as inspection waivers and priority processing in all of those partner countries.
"AEO certification is a vital competitive asset that can elevate the safety and credibility of Korean companies in the global trade environment," Seoul Customs Office head Kim Yong-sik said. "We will continue to actively support companies' efforts in import and export safety management and help Korean businesses expand into global markets."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
