□ our reporter Liu Xin
The regional comprehensive economic partnership agreement (RCEP) came into force on January 1, 2022. Driven by a series of policy dividends such as rules of origin and approved exporter system, the two-way flow of industrial chain and supply chain in the region is more unblocked, and Chinese enterprises can make better use of China’s international markets and resources.
At 0:00 on January 1, Shenzhen Huanggang port welcomed the first imported goods in China after the RCEP agreement came into force. 5.6 tons of reflective film originating from Japan will be used to produce backlight products such as mobile phones and digital cameras after being inspected and released by Shenzhen Customs officers.
Zheng Dongyang, director of the customs office of Shenzhen customs, told reporters that in the first 11 months of 2021, the import and export scale of Shenzhen to 14 other RCEP trading partners exceeded 800 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 11.8%, a record high in the same period. The main import and export commodities include electronic components, optical equipment, household appliances, etc. The reflective film enjoying tariff reduction this time is an important part of electronic consumer products such as mobile phones and digital cameras. It is expected to bring new development opportunities for characteristic and advantageous industries such as 5g, electromechanical, automobile, medicine, textiles and clothing in Shenzhen.
According to Chen guogang, customs director of Shenzhen Jiuli supply chain Co., Ltd., the imported goods are worth 1.33 million yuan, which can save about 6000 yuan of tariff.
According to the agreement, in the first year of RCEP’s entry into force, the import tariff rate of reflective film originating in Japan will be reduced from 6.5% to 6.1%, which will be gradually reduced to zero tariff in the future. Enterprises can increase their import volume according to the decrease of tariff, which is expected to bring an increase of 20% this year. The tax reduction of relevant raw materials and accessories will release more capital dividends and provide new opportunities for the industry to strengthen R & D, development and upgrading.
“According to the ‘transitional clause on goods in transit’ in the RCEP rules of origin, the originating goods in transit at the time of entry into force of the agreement can still enjoy preferential tariff treatment as long as the importer makes a valid application within 180 days.” Zeng Yunjin, deputy director of the customs office of Shenzhen customs, said.
In the future, not only will consumers buy imported goods at a cheaper price, but also the development environment of foreign-funded enterprises of RCEP members in China will be further optimized.
On January 1, Yangma engine (Shandong) Co., Ltd., a Japanese funded enterprise located in Qingdao, imported a batch of engine parts made in Japan with a value of 249000 yuan from Huangdao port. This is the first batch of imported goods applying for RCEP treaty tax rate in Shandong Province after RCEP came into force.
“Due to production needs, the company will import some key parts from Japan. The import tax rate of engine filters will be reduced from 5% to zero in the first year when RCEP comes into effect, and the tax on engine cables and other spare parts will be reduced to zero step by step. Only in the first year when RCEP comes into effect, the tariff cost of spare parts imported from Japan will be saved by 2 million yuan, which will increase year by year.” Wang Ping, the company’s customs manager, said happily. Thanks to favorable policies, the company is expected to import nearly 400 million yuan of spare parts from Japan in 2022.
On the same day, the imported goods under Zhejiang’s first ticket RCEP arrived in Jiaxing. Xinfengming Group Co.Ltd(603225) one ticket of spinning oil imported from Japan applies to Jiaxing customs for customs declaration. The value of the goods was 2.9 million yuan. With the RCEP certificate of origin, the import tariff rate of the goods was reduced from 10% to 9.1%, and the enterprise saved about 24000 yuan. “Spinning oil is the main raw material for chemical fiber production. In January, we will import 20 pieces of spinning oil from Japan, with a value of about US $8 million, which is expected to save 450000 yuan of tax.” Gao Guoping, chief of the foreign trade affairs section of the company, said.
SAIC Volkswagen is also looking forward to the implementation of RCEP agreement in the coming years. On January 1, SAIC Volkswagen imported and declared a batch of transmission controllers from Japan at Shanghai foreign port customs, enjoying the RCEP agreement tax rate, which is 0.4% lower than the previous MFN tax rate of 7%, so the enterprise pays 13000 yuan less tariff.
Sui Kaijia, senior manager of planning, logistics and control of SAIC Volkswagen, said that after the implementation of the RCEP agreement, the transmission controller imported by the company can enjoy tariff concessions, which is expected to save more than 600000 yuan of tax for the enterprise in one year. With the formal implementation of the agreement, the agreed tax rate of commodities, including gearbox controllers and some auto parts, will decline year by year, which will save more taxes for enterprises in the future.
(International Business Daily)
