Authorised Economic Operator status — the customs "trusted trader" mark under the WCO SAFE Framework (India's CBIC AEO T1–T3, the EU's AEOC/AEOS and mutual-recognition partners) — is assessed on a few real pillars: compliance history, records management, financial solvency, competence and security. Score yourself honestly against them below; everything runs in your browser.
By Amit Jain · with Vinod Kumar Jain · All Frontier Global · free, no login
What the criteria actually are
Customs compliance — no serious or repeated infringements of customs and tax rules (authorities typically look back ~3 years), and no serious criminal offences tied to the business.
Records management — a satisfactory system of managing commercial and, where relevant, transport records that gives customs an audit trail.
Financial solvency — proven ability to meet commitments (no insolvency; sound accounts).
Practical competence — practical standards of competence or professional qualification in customs matters (an EU AEOC criterion; India looks for equivalent capability).
Security & safety — appropriate standards for premises, cargo, personnel and business partners (required for security-type authorisations such as EU AEOS and India AEO-T2/T3/LO).