APM Terminals Barcelona has obtained the Authorised Economic Operator (OEA) certificate for customs procedures, a declaration issued by the Spanish Tax Agency which guarantees the security of the goods produced, stored, shipped and/or transported by order of the operator in question.

In the words of the terminal representatives “We obtained the AEO in protection and security five years ago and now we have been granted the customs certificate, thus completing the AEO”.

The audit performed by the Tax Agency prior to issuing the AEO checks that the applicant company has proven financial solvency, a record of compliance with customs regulations, rigorous checks on accounting, commercial, IT and customs procedures, and optimal levels of physical security in its facilities.

Now that it has obtained OEA status, APM Terminals Barcelona offers guarantees that the goods it handles are produced, stored, prepared and loaded in secure facilities and secure loading or shipping areas. Also, that these goods are protected from unauthorised access or manipulation during production, storage, preparation, loading and transport. It further guarantees that trusted personnel are in charge of the production, storage, preparation, loading and transport of the goods and that the commercial partners acting on behalf of APM Terminals Barcelona are duly informed that they must also ensure supply chain security.

In the words of the terminal representatives “Obtaining the AEO has become especially important since the entry into force of the new Union Customs Code (UCC), a new framework for relations between customs and authorised economic operators (AEO) in foreign trade. The UCC aims to modernise, simplify and harmonise customs formalities and regulations while maintaining checks by the authorities, as well as creating an electronic environment that makes full use of information exchange technologies.” 

APM Terminals currently operates a global network of 74 port terminals and 117 land services operations, employing 22,000 professionals in 57 countries worldwide. The company facilitates port and operations management for the world's main shipping lines to ensure their supply chain and the success of their businesses in all markets.