POSCO International earns top AAA rating for customs compliance
POSCO International headquaters in Songdo, Incheon / Courtesy of POSCO International
POSCO International, the trading and energy arm of steelmaker POSCO Group, has secured the highest rating under the country’s Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program — a top-tier certification set to streamline customs clearance and bolster its global supply chain network.
The company said Wednesday it received the AAA certification at a ceremony held at Incheon Customs, following years of improvements to its import and export management systems.
The AEO program, established under World Customs Organization standards, evaluates companies on regulatory compliance, internal controls, financial soundness and security management, assigning ratings of A, AA or AAA.
POSCO International first earned an A rating in 2013 before advancing to AA in 2022, continuing to refine its trade processes and internal oversight before achieving the top tier this year.
The company handles about 40,000 import and export customs declarations annually, making faster clearance procedures a potential source of greater logistics efficiency and lower operating costs.
Under the AAA rating, the proportion of shipments and documents selected for customs inspection or submission screening from which the company is exempt rises to 100 percent, up from 70 percent under the AA rating.
Additional benefits include exemptions from submitting certain contracts, relief from planned customs audits and longer intervals between corporate inspections.
The certification also provides customs and logistics advantages in 25 countries that have mutual recognition arrangements with Korea, including the United States, Japan and China.
POSCO International is also extending its expertise to smaller partner companies, supporting their efforts to obtain AEO certification through consulting and training.
Since 2025, the company has provided certification assistance to five partner firms annually as part of its cooperation with smaller businesses.
A POSCO International official said the achievement reflected continued efforts to review and improve import and export management systems, adding that the company would keep working to reduce customs risks, improve logistics efficiency and help smaller partners secure certification.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.