CARGO HANDLING GETS AEO AUTHORIZATION

Kouvola Cargo Handling Oy received an AEO authorization from Customs in August 2025. The aim of the AEO program is to promote the security of international supply chains. As an AEO operator, Cargo Handling Group will have both obligations and benefits. The company carries out, among other things, self-monitoring of customs clearances and continuous risk management and reports them to Customs. The company’s premises and information systems must be secure and outsiders must not have access to warehouses or transport and customs documents. As an advantage, the AEO operator receives the trust of Customs, which is reflected in a lower number of customs inspections.

EXPERIENCED PROJECT TEAM TO CLARIFY AEO REQUIREMENTS

The AEO authorization includes a large number of requirements that the company must meet before the authorization is granted. Ritva Ijäs from Cargo Handling Group set out to build an AEO program for Cargo Handling with a familiar team, together with Riikka Häyrynen and Kari Miettinen. Ritva and Riikka have extensive experience in the forwarding industry, while Kari is responsible for the practical operations of warehouses and security issues at Cargo’s warehouses. The same people have also been involved in the ISO 9001 quality system work, and for them, documentation, risk management and continuous improvement of security issues were familiar tasks.

AEO FOCUS ON SUPPLY CHAIN ​​SECURITY

AEO aims to increase the security of the supply chain. For example, premises must be protected so that unauthorized people cannot access warehouses or offices on their own. Visitors move around the premises with the company’s contact person in accordance with visitor policy. The IT environment and systems must be documented, secure and reliable. There are specific requirements for data management, document storage and destruction. The backgrounds of employees and contract partners must be clarified. Potential subcontractors must comply with AEO requirements in the same way as the company’s own employees.

CARGO’S PREMISES READY TO COMPLY WITH AEO REQUIREMENTS

Cargo Handling Group’s warehouses and office in Kouvola have all been built in the last 15 years, so matters related to premises security were already in good shape. The premises have a modern camera surveillance system and fenced and guarded terminal area. It has been easy to restrict the flow of visitors in Cargo’s terminal area so that unauthorized people do not have access to the warehouse or office where documents are processed. Drivers can walk from the outside of the warehouse to their own loading ramp and collect their documents from the office’s service point. Visitors who enter the office are documented and they are taken care by Cargo’s contact person.

NEW PERSPECTIVES ON RISK MANAGEMENT

Risk management has been a topic at Cargo’s management meetings, but AEO brought with it a new perspective. Now, risks need to be considered more broadly, considering the entire supply chain and taking into account, for example, possible smuggling attempts, how to organize document access control, secure archiving and document destruction. Staff have received training on, for example, inspecting cargo spaces in trailers and containers prior to loading and finding possible smuggling compartments. They also check the suitability of vehicles for sealing, for which a 7-point checklist is specified in the AEO requirements.

ELECTRONIC ARCHIVING EMPTYING ARCHIVE ROOMS

Over the past five years, documents have been transformed from paper to electronic documents at an ever faster pace. Previously, transport and customs documents were archived in carefully locked archive rooms to which only certain employees had access. Now, it can already be seen that the need for physical archive storage space is starting to decrease. However, there are still risks associated with the safe storage of documents. Now the main focus is on the security of electronic archives and data protection.

Five years ago, Cargo Handling Group underwent a complete IT environment overhaul together with our long-term IT partner. At that time, we gave up the last physical servers, connected our own transport company TransPeltola’s IT environment to Cargo’s IT environment, introduced electronic negotiations and organized a secure way to store electronic documents. We used to think that we were safe with our lockable archives in distant Kouvola, Finland, but now we have to be prepared for cyber threats everywhere. That is why we are constantly developing the security of our IT systems.

In the photo, left. Sales Manager Ritva Ijäs and Terminal Manager Kari Miettinen are satisfied with the completion of the AEO project. Kouvola Cargo Handling Oy received an AEOF authorization from Customs in August 2025.

AEO in brief

• AEO (Authorised Economic Operator) is a global partnership program between customs authorities and economic operators. The AEO program is recognized in all EU member states.
• A large part of the 177 member states of the World Customs Organization implement a program equivalent to AEO in their own countries.
• There are a total of 94 AEO operators in Finland
• Kouvola Cargo Handling Oy received AEOF authorization in August 2025.
• Oy TransPeltola Ltd has had AEOS authorization since 2016.