Rhenus South Africa gets AEO Level 2 status

Rhenus South Africa has achieved Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) Level 2 status, signifying the company's commitment to high security and safety standards in customs operations.

“AEO status is a valuable indicator to our current and prospective clients that we are dedicated to best practice and integrity in all our processes and procedures,” says Dirk Goedhart, Managing Director, Rhenus South Africa. “We are committed to leveraging this accreditation to enhance our services and provide even greater value to our clients by assisting them in their efforts to become AEO accredited.”

The AEO accreditation with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) process involves assessing a company’s internal operations, compliance with customs rules, and security measures in the supply chain, says a release from Rhenus. It is part of the efforts by the World Customs Organization (WCO) to improve global trade security and simplify customs procedures.

“Attaining AEO Level 2 status was a landmark in our journey towards improving security, reliability and efficiency in our supply chain,” says Ansie Hefer, National Customs Manager, Rhenus South Africa. “Now that we’ve experienced firsthand the substantial benefits of the AEO initiative, our primary goal is to assist our clients in smoothly onboarding onto the programme, ensuring they too can experience the same advantages.”

AEO accreditation eliminates manual processes and reduces human error while simplified application procedures and electronic submissions help minimise delays. Expedited inspections, fewer customs stops and faster refunding of claims enable companies to achieve significant cost savings. Additionally, being AEO accredited provides a competitive edge as businesses are recognised as reliable and trustworthy traders, the release added.