"In the first five months of this year, Huangshan Customs issued 88 RCEP Certificates of Origin for us, covering a total value of over 37 million yuan, which is expected to bring about 1.89 million yuan in tariff reductions from importing countries." A recent statement from a responsible person at Huangshan Novel Co., Ltd., while workers were busy packing a batch of polyethylene plastic bags about to be exported to Japan in the company's warehouse. "The dividends brought by the policy have added more momentum for the company to further expand its foreign trade market." 

On November 15, 2020, the 10 ASEAN countries, along with Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand, jointly signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and promoted the agreement to officially come into effect on January 1, 2022. On June 2, 2023, the RCEP officially came into effect for the Philippines, marking the full entry into force of the RCEP among all 15 signatories. Two years after its full entry into force, economic and trade exchanges among the RCEP member countries have become increasingly active, and cooperation in industrial and supply chains has become closer.

RCEP, the world's largest free trade agreement, is continuously releasing its open dividends. According to Hefei Customs statistics, in the first five months of this year, the province's total import and export value reached 374.79 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15.4%. Among them, the import and export volume with other RCEP member countries rose to 96.89 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 25.3%, significantly higher than the overall growth rate.

It is reported that in order to enhance cross-border trade facilitation and help enterprises make good use of RCEP rules, Hefei Customs conducts real-time question-and-answer sessions through policy briefings and enterprise contact groups, assisting export enterprises in accurately grasping the rules of origin accumulation. It vigorously promotes the "smart review + self-service printing" mode of certificates of origin, achieving round-the-clock, second-level issuance of RCEP and ASEAN certificates. At the same time, it advances the certification of AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) and the cultivation of approved exporters' qualifications, helping enterprises to smoothly navigate international compliant trade channels. 

"Since the full implementation of RCEP, the quantity of RCEP certificates issued and the value of goods exported with preferential tariffs by foreign trade export enterprises in Anhui Province have continued to grow, demonstrating the strong vitality of RCEP in promoting regional trade development," said a responsible person from Hefei Customs. They expressed that they would provide more convenient, efficient, and considerate services to help enterprises explore the RCEP market and effectively convert policy dividends into the driving force for business development.

Source: Anhui Daily