As the world’s largest free trade agreement, the RCEP has come into effect for two years. Throughout 2023, Qingdao Customs issued a total of 112,000 RCEP certificates of origin, more than any other Chinese certifying authorities did and increasing by 35.3% year on year. Over the same period, approved exporters issued independently 4,220 RCEP declarations on country of origin, up 37.6% year on year. As a result, the affected enterprises were entitled to close to RMB 300 mln in tariff concession by other RCEP signatories.

RCEP tariff concessions, which have enabled policies to unleash bonuses, helped further increase the competitiveness of China’s exports and made regional industrial chain and supply chain more resilient, therefore contribute greatly to stabilizing the fundamentals of China’s foreign trade. To overcome the “last kilometer” for enterprises to enjoy benefits, since the beginning of 2023, Qingdao Customs has set up the first batch of RCEP community-level service stations, explained customs policies and provided face-to-face guidance on the basis of reservation to extend customs services as much as possible, and helped small and micro businesses print certificates of origin in nearby places and costlessly.  (Liu Lanxing)

The RCEP Qingdao Pilot Innovation Base for Economic and Trade Cooperation located in the Qingdao Cruise Home Port Area.