On 16 December 2020 the United States and the United Kingdom concluded a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) to further enhance bilateral efforts to secure and facilitate lawful trade.
CMAAs are bilateral agreements between countries that are enforced by their respective customs administrations. The agreements provide the legal framework for the exchange of information and evidence to assist countries in the enforcement of customs laws, including duty evasion, trafficking, proliferation, money laundering and terrorism-related activities.
As the United Kingdom has been an important trade partner of the United States for more than two centuries, this new agreement will further enhance the U.S.-UK partnership by improving information sharing, strengthening the enforcement of our customs laws, and bolstering supply chain security while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade.
The United States and the United Kingdom work closely together to stop criminals trafficking illegal goods across the Atlantic – from guns, to drugs, to illegal wildlife products and even counterfeit medicine. The CMAA means that after Brexit, investigators of both countries can keep sharing information to stop criminals in their tracks and keep people in both countries safe.
This agreement ensures continuity post EU exit, allowing both countries to continue to cooperate in combatting customs offences by sharing information and good practice, and provides the legal underpinning for schemes to ease trade flows for importers and exporters.
