Recently, a technology company in Meizhou area that specializes in the production of high-performance copper foil applied to Meizhou Customs for two RCEP certificates of origin for export to Japan, involving goods worth nearly 4.5 million yuan.
With the above certificates, its customers can enjoy preferential tariff treatment under the RCEP Agreement when importing from Japan, effectively reducing import customs clearance costs and greatly improving the competitiveness of the company’s products in overseas markets.
The certificate of origin is known as “paper gold” in international trade. Exporting companies can enjoy tariff reductions and exemptions and other preferential treatment in the importing country.
The RCEP certificate of origin refers to the certificate of origin of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. It is an important certificate for proving the origin qualification and country of origin of the original goods during import customs clearance, determining the tariff rate and enjoying preferential tariff treatment. It is an important “passport” for foreign trade companies to expand overseas markets.
The relevant person in charge of the aforementioned technology company introduced that in 2025, the company applied for a total of 29 RCEP certificates of origin, with a total value of 50.57 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 53.3%.
After applying for a certificate of origin, the import tariff rate for copper foil exported by the company in Japan was reduced from the ordinary tax rate of 4.8% to 1.4%, which greatly improved the competitiveness of the product in the overseas market, and the order scale also achieved steady growth.
In order to help enterprises fully enjoy the policy dividends of the free trade agreement and promote measures to benefit enterprises from “paper” to “book”, Meizhou Customs, a subsidiary of Shantou Customs, has launched a series of special services to build the issuance of certificate of origin into a “booster” for foreign trade growth.
Based on the industrial characteristics of each county in Meizhou, the customs has accurately classified and regularly carried out convenient services such as “door-to-door policy delivery” and “customs-enterprise express train” to sort out the use of preferential policies such as import and export, tax reduction and exemption, etc. applicable to the RCEP agreement, and provide precise assistance with “one enterprise, one policy”.
Encourage enterprises to make good use of the functions of the “single window” and “China Customs Preferential Origin Service Platform” for international trade, comprehensively improve the ability of enterprises to know, understand and use benefits, help foreign trade enterprises enjoy the optimal tariff rates, and guide the characteristic industries of the customs area to use preferential policies to expand overseas markets.
Set up enterprise-related service specialists at the business site and establish a mechanism of “active collection – time-limited resolution – supervision and evaluation” to respond to enterprise demands point-to-point, guide compliance declarations, and ensure that enterprises “answer their questions and resolve their difficulties.”
Build a “policy list + corporate portrait” matching mechanism, track and return visits to key enterprises on RCEP benefits, and dynamically optimize service strategies to help enterprises adjust export directions in a timely manner, seize international market share, and truly realize the transformation of “good policies” into “real benefits.”
The head of Meizhou Customs related business departments said: “We also use the construction of ‘smart customs’ as a starting point to continuously expand the benefits of the self-service printing reform of the certificate of origin. By optimizing the ‘paperless declaration + intelligent review + self-service printing’ model of the certificate of origin, we have achieved paperless ‘intelligent review’ of documents.’
“Zero delay” issuance, nearly 90% of companies can quickly obtain certificates without leaving home, further helping export companies save time and money.
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Data show that from January to May 2026, the value of various certificates of origin issued by Meizhou Customs increased by 22.1% and 61.7% year-on-year respectively, and the policy dividend release effect is very significant.
In the next step, Meizhou Customs will continue to carry out in-depth and detailed policy propaganda and targeted assistance, continuously improve the efficiency and facilitation level of applying for certificates of origin, guide and support more foreign trade companies in the customs area to make full use of preferential policies of origin with more convenient, more efficient, and more heart-warming services, help companies reduce costs and increase efficiency, enjoy the dividends of the agreement, open up the international market, and promote the local foreign trade economy to a new level.
