POSCO International, the trading and energy arm of steelmaker POSCO Group, has secured the highest rating under the country’s Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) program — a top-tier certification set to streamline customs clearance and bolster its global supply chain network. The company said Wednesday it received the AAA certification at a ceremony held at Incheon Customs, following years of improvements to its import and export management systems. The AEO program, established under World Customs Organization standards, evaluates companies on regulatory compliance, internal controls, financial soundness and security management, assigning ratings of A, AA or AAA. POSCO International first earned an A rating in 2013 before advancing to AA in 2022, continuing to refine its trade processes and internal oversight before achieving the top tier this year. The company handles about 40,000 import and export customs declarations annually, making faster clearance procedures a potential source of greater logistics efficiency and lower operating costs. Under the AAA rating, the proportion of ship