Eland World first fashion firm to earn top AAA customs rating

Eland World has become the first fashion company to earn the top AAA rating under the Korea Customs Service's Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program, the company announced Thursday.

The upgrade to AAA was confirmed at a Korea Customs Service AEO accreditation review committee on June 10, following a compliance and safety management assessment conducted by the Busan Main Customs Office and the Korea Customs and Tariff Institute beginning last October. Eland World received the top-grade certificate at a presentation ceremony held at the Busan Main Customs Office on Wednesday.

The AEO AAA designation is awarded to companies that receive the highest marks across all major evaluation categories, including customs compliance assessments at major customs offices nationwide, customs audit results, and safety management capability reviews by the Korea Customs and Tariff Institute. The criteria are stringent enough that only one or two companies earn the rating each year. Only 19 companies currently hold the AAA rating in the imports category, including affiliates of major conglomerates such as Samsung, LG Group and SK Group.

With the AAA rating, Eland World will receive the highest level of preferential treatment in customs clearance, review and inspection at customs offices nationwide. The company will also benefit from expedited clearance in 25 countries — including China, the United States, Vietnam and India — with which the Korea Customs Service has signed mutual recognition arrangements.

Eland World first obtained an AEO A rating in 2015, then upgraded to AA in 2020, progressively strengthening its supply chain safety management framework and digital trade management systems. The company also built its own "trade portal system" to integrate the entire process from overseas ordering through customs clearance to domestic warehousing. When a fire broke out at its Cheonan logistics center last year, the company used the system to arrange alternative production at overseas partner factories and expedite customs clearance, minimizing supply disruptions.

"This is the result of a decade of work to strengthen our customs compliance and supply chain safety management framework," an Eland World official said. "We will extend our operational expertise to group affiliates and overseas subsidiaries to build world-class supply chain competitiveness."