• July 22, 2015

The number of Jordanian companies able to clear their goods more rapidly through customs is set to expand, increasing Jordans potential for trade with other countries.

Jordans Customs Department, advised by Nathan Associates, announced in April that it has eased the criteria for importers, exporters, warehouse operators, and others in the supply chain to join a group of preferred operators on what is known as the Golden List. The government also announced it stepped up marketing and outreach for the program. Nathan Associates is providing technical work on trade facilitation as a subcontractor for USAID’s Fiscal Reform Project II in Jordan.

Preferred operators demonstrate that they pose a low likelihood of evading duties, falsifying documents, or otherwise violating customs rules, and have post-9/11 security procedures in place. The companies benefit in numerous ways. For example, their goods are less likely than others to be held up in transit for detailed inspections. Listed companies also might receive better customs treatment in other countries.

Forty-five companies had enrolled in the Golden List program, begun in 2005, as of April 2014 the number is up from 36 in early 2012. Some of the eased requirements to qualify for the golden list include those governing volume and value of trade, years in the business, and number of employees.

Nathan Associates provides services in all four building blocks of trade facilitation: customs modernization, single windows, transport and logistics, and legal frameworks. Nathan has prepared a handbook for USAID giving practical, step-by-step guidance and best-practice examples to customs administrations on establishing AEO programs, including ways to work collaboratively with the private sector to secure the supply chain while continuing to facilitate trade, maintain customs controls, and protect revenue.

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