Project Overview
Background Paper
The Centre for Customs and Excise Studies is undertaking a review of the emerging ‘Accredited Operator’ concept which, internationally and locally, is being espoused by a number of regulatory agencies in the form of ‘Authorised Economic Operator’ (AEO), ‘Regulated Shipper’, ‘Regulated Agent’, ‘Accredited Agent’, ‘Approved Exporter’, and ‘Registered Operator’ programs which have emerged as a result of international initiatives relating to supply chain security and trade facilitation. The research will review the subject from a number of perspectives, including international initiatives, global responses, Australian Government responses, and implications for regulators and the business community as Australia moves forward to implement its own program or programs in parallel with the initiatives of its major trading partners.
The project is being funded through the Australian International Trade and Transport Industry Development Fund (AITTIDF) with the support of the Customs Brokers and Forwarders Council of Australia Inc. (CBFCA), the Export Council of Australia (ECA), the Australian Federation of International Forwarders (AFIF), the Conference of Asia Pacific Express Carriers (CAPEC) and Shipping Australia Limited (SAL).
The principal objective of the project is to provide the Government with an Australian international trade and transport industry view of the Accredited Operator concept and the way in which it should be progressed in Australia in order to guard against any possible erosion of the industry’s competitive position in the global marketplace. In particular, it seeks to identify options for maximising the relevance and benefit of such a scheme to the Australian business community, whilst minimising compliance costs and ensuring that Australian exporters and the international trade and transport industry are able to compete on an equal footing with their overseas competitors, particularly when exporting to countries that have similar arrangements in place.
The project is designed to develop an industry position for presentation to Government on the various forms of Accredited Operator schemes that are in place, under development, or being considered by Australian agencies, including recommendations on how they should be progressed within Australia and in terms of linkages with the programs of major trading partners.
The project seeks to identify a whole-of-government solution for a whole-of-industry outcome.
Have Your Say
If you wish to take part in an industry survey contributing to this research project, please click this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZGSSXHN, it should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. For further background information, contact Dr Mikhail Kashubsky at: Mikhail.Kashubsky@canberra.edu.au