Customs Enables Exporters to Access Certificates of Origin for China Under Free Trade Agreement

The Maldives Customs Service (MCS) has announced arrangements for local exporters to obtain Certificates of Origin for goods exported to China under the Maldives-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Applications for the certificate will be available online from 15 August and can be submitted through the Customs portal, along with the required payments. Approval notifications will also be sent to applicants via the portal, according to MCS.

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The FTA, signed in 2014 and ratified by the Maldivian Parliament in 2017, had its implementation suspended following a change in administration in 2018. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s administration, which took office in November 2023, has worked to bring the agreement into effect, and it has been fully operational since 1 January.

Under the agreement, all fishery products processed and produced in the Maldives can be exported to China at a zero-rate tariff. The measure is expected to substantially increase the export potential of Maldivian seafood, the nation’s largest export commodity.

Duty exemptions will apply to 296 categories of seafood, including sea cucumber, salted fish, grouper, mariculture products, skipjack tuna, and yellowfin tuna.