GACC Announcement No. 18, 2012 on CEPA Origin Rules Revised

The Supplemental Agreements Ⅷ of China's mainland-Hong Kong and mainland-Macao Closer Economic Partnership Arrangements (CEPA) have come into effect from April 1 of 2012 respectively.

Relevant matters are hereby announced concerning revision of the origin rules in the Supplemental Agreements:

1. As regards raw materials or components exported from China mainland to Hong Kong or Macao for manufacturing the CEPA-covered export goods there as per the Supplemental Agreements Ⅷ, their origins shall be determined by the rules of origin set forth in the Annexes 2 of the mainland-Hong Kong and mainland-Macao CEPAs respectively.

2. As regards the mainland original raw materials or components to export to Hong Kong or Macao for manufacturing export goods there as per the Supplemental Agreements Ⅷ, the mainland exporters or their agents shall apply for relevant Certificates of Origin to the mainland certifying authorities, including the AQSIQ's entry-exit inspection-quarantine agencies and the CCPIT or its sub-councils, before their declarations to China Customs.

3. As regards the mainland original raw materials or components to export to Hong Kong or Macao for manufacturing export goods there as per the Supplemental Agreements Ⅷ, the mainland exporters or their agents shall submit, during their customs declarations, the copies of the mainland-made Certificates of Origin under the CEPAs and complete China's Forms of Customs Declaration for Export Goods or China's Customs Registry Lists of Exit Goods.

Regarding the Certificates of Origin issued by the certifying authorities networked with the customs, the accompanying-document codes therein shall be "Y"; the accompanying-document numbers therein shall be "<agreed-on codes>"(03 for the mainland-Hong Kong CEPA and 04 for the mainland-Macao CEPA) + "origin certificate numbers"; the associated registry numbers therein shall be the numbers registered by Hong Kong or Macao manufacturers with Hong Kong Trade & Industry Department or Macao Economic Services (MES); and the commodity items and order shall be consistent between the customs declaration forms or customs registry lists and the Certificates of Origin.

Regarding the Certificates of Origin issued by the certifying authorities non-networked with the customs, the accompanying-document codes therein shall be "Y"; the accompanying-document numbers therein shall be "<agreed-on codes>"(03 for the mainland-Hong Kong CEPA and 04 for the mainland-Macao CEPA); the associated registry numbers therein shall be the numbers registered by Hong Kong or Macao manufacturers with Hong Kong Trade & Industry Department or Macao Economic Services (MES); and the remark columns therein shall be filled with the serial numbers of the Certificates of Origin.

4. Sole mutual correspondence shall be maintained between one Certificate of Origin herein and one Form of Customs Declaration for Export Goods or one Customs Registry List of Exit Goods aforesaid.

5. In order to ensure implementation of the Supplemental Agreements Ⅷ, China Customs will strengthen its administration over the origins of the mainland raw materials or components and also will, based on risk management, conduct relevant inspections on the export origins.


March 21, 2012