EU and China strengthen Customs Cooperation

On 18 June, the 11^th high-level meeting of the EU-China Joint Customs Cooperation Committee (JCCC) took place in Shanghai. It marks the 20^th Anniversary of this cooperation. 

The EU and China reaffirmed their commitment to actively reinforce the effectiveness of customs controls and enhance fair and legitimate trade. The European Commission also recently completed an external study and an evaluation of the EU-China customs cooperation. In view of recent trends and challenges, the EU and China agreed to establish a new Working Group on cross-border e-commerce while intensifying their cooperation on designer drug precursors.

The EU and China also asserted their commitment to actively strengthen their long-term customs cooperation. To this end, they agreed to engage in a review process that should improve and reach even better results. This process could lead to a renewed EU-China Customs Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance (CCMAA) Agreement.

In the context of this cooperation, the EU and China also celebrate the 10^th anniversary of their cooperation on better supply chain security via the Mutual Recognition (MR) of Authorized Economic Operators (AEO).  They both stressed the important contribution that customs cooperation makes in ensuring safety and security of supply chains and of traded goods. 

The Committee was co-chaired, by the Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate General of Taxation and Customs (DG TAXUD), in presence of EU Member States, and by the Vice-Minister of the General Administration of China Customs (GACC). 

Background

The EU-China Customs Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance (CCMAA) Agreement was signed in 2004. 2024 marks the 20^th anniversary. Since 2004, EU-China customs cooperation has seen four successive strategic frameworks, setting priorities and concrete actions of the EU-China customs cooperation.