Europe trade chief sees boom in trade and export jobs, thanks to customs deal with US

{mosads}The agreement requires the EU and the United States to mutually recognize each other’s security-certified operators, starting July 1. The EU recognizes 5,000 traders as Authorized Economic Operators, while 10,000 companies are certified under the U.S. Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism.

The 27-member EU block already has a similar agreement with Japan, Switzerland and Norway, and is negotiating with China. Šemeta said the deal with the U.S. would facilitate traders’ application to become members of the joint certification program, further easing global trade in the process.

“Now that we have the U.S. on board that will increase the interest of traders to be members of this program,” he said, “and I think the same will happen in the U.S.”