Mutual Recognition
Information on Mutual Recognition with Other Customs Authorities (MRA).
As part of the United Kingdom’s efforts to enhance global supply chain security and facilitate the movement of legitimate goods, HM Revenue & Customs seek to negotiate Authorised Economic Operator Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) with our trading partners.
If you hold Authorised Economic Operator Security and Safety (AEOS) status, you can benefit from the MRAs the UK has in place with partner Customs Authorities. An Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) MRAs allows businesses that hold AEOS status to be recognised as ‘trusted business partners’, allowing them to access the benefits of this status when trading with those countries, such as:
- fewer security and safety related controls
- priority treatment at customs clearance
- business continuity mechanism
The countries the UK has Mutual Recognition Agreements with are listed on GOV.UK
The UK is working towards having arrangements in place with other partners, and once concluded will update GOV.UK pages.
Businesses that have UK AEOS status and have provided their consent to share information with MRA partners to HM Revenue & Customs, will automatically be recognised as a UK AEOS at the border of these countries.
Businesses that currently trade with the USA or are planning to trade with the USA in future, need to provide HM Revenue & Customs with their Manufacturer Identification Number(s) (MIDs) and corresponding UK business addresses to be recognised at the USA border.
MIDs are the codes that you provide on your US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Form 7501 (Entry Summary).
If your MID number(s) change or become invalid, you will need to inform HM Revenue & Customs so your records can be updated, and you can continue to receive benefits under the UK-US AEO MRAs.
Please email the above information or any related questions to aeoapplications@hmrc.gov.uk