Members of the C-TPAT program have a new benefit coming their way this January, thanks to an agreement signed by U.S. and EU customs authorities.

On May 4, customs officials representing the U.S. Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program and the EU Authorized Economic Operator program signed an agreement to mutually recognize program members as equivalent to their own.

Both programs offer members quicker customs clearance in exchange for maintaining high supply chain security standards.

The idea behind the agreement is simple: If you’re certified in one program, you’re to be considered equally certified in the other.

This July, EU Authorized Economic Operators will begin receiving low risk scores for US-bound shipments. U.S. C-TPAT members will have to wait until January to receive the same treatment for shipments bound for the EU.

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