EU Guidance on Approved Exporters

Who is the approved exporter? The approved exporter is an economic operator-based in the EU- which is authorized to certify the preferential origin himself by including a specific declaration on the invoice or another commercial document identifying the exported products. It is a status which allows: a) time saving; b) boost your export.

The economic operator can be either manufacturer or trader.

Except for the FTA with the South Korea which provides with only the approved exporter, it is an alternative way to prove the preferential origin status  instead of applying upon each export for issue of a movement certificate EUR.1

The application for the approved exporter status is a one-off formality, where the exporter provides the competent customs office with the necessary information. Once the authorisation is issued, it is valid for all exports of the covered originating goods during the period of the authorisation.

Each preferential arrangement using the concept of approved exporter creates its own legal framework meaning that operators holding an autorized exporter status should be aware that they are making use of a status involving several conditions and may need to refer to the relevant provisions in each preferential arrangement.

This status can be status may also be granted to companies applying for such status in order to benefit from the simplified procedure in relation to A.TR. movement certificates issued for products in free circulation covered by the EU-Turkey Customs Union.

The management of the obligation related to this status plays an important role in the customs compliance/AEO.