In order to improve the level of trade facilitation and reduce enterprise costs, according to the notice of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China, starting from July 1 this year, relevant products exported to Iceland and Switzerland by foreign trade enterprises must be issued by the inspection and quarantine agencies of China, Iceland and Switzerland. The certificate of origin of the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement can enjoy tariff reduction and exemption treatment in the free trade zone. Most export goods can enjoy zero tariff treatment, and customs clearance for export goods will be more convenient.
It is understood that the China-Iceland Free Trade Agreement is the first free trade area agreement signed between China and a European country; the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement is one of the highest-level and most comprehensive free trade agreements China has reached with foreign countries in recent years. The proportion of zero-tariff trade in goods is quite high. The China-Iceland Free Trade Agreement and the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement will both come into effect on July 1 this year. Iceland has implemented tariff concessions on all industrial products and most agricultural products imported from China since the date of the agreement’s entry into force. These products account for 99.77% of China’s total exports to Iceland; Switzerland immediately exempted 99.7% of China’s exports from tariffs. Zero tariffs will be implemented on 84.2% of Switzerland’s exports. If some tax reduction products are included, the proportion of Swiss products with tax reductions will reach 99.99%. The products that Sweden implements tariff reductions for China include all industrial products and most agricultural products. In terms of industrial products, the products that Sweden has reduced tariffs on China include textiles, clothing, shoes and hats, auto parts and metal products, etc.; China Products subject to tariff concessions for Switzerland mainly include metal products, mechanical parts, household appliances, some watches, precision instruments and fine chemical products, coffee, cheese, etc.
According to reports, in addition to the preferential certificate of origin issued by the free trade agreement, the China-Switzerland and China-Iceland free trade agreements also added a new form of independent declaration of origin to the written proof of enjoying preferential tariff policies. In addition to applying for the issuance of a preferential certificate of origin, approved enterprises can also enjoy preferential tariff treatment by self-declaring the origin of the goods.
