Huzhou Customs recently issued its first China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement Certificate of Origin to Zhejiang Lixing Furniture Co. This certificate enabled the company to export a batch of furniture to the Maldives with zero tariffs, signifying the commencement of a favorable trade relationship between Huzhou foreign trade enterprises and the Maldives market.

The China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement went into effect on Jan 1 this year and has injected fresh energy into the economic collaboration between the two nations. According to the agreement, both China and the Maldives have over 95 percent of tariff lines and trade volume for zero-tariff products, with 91.1 percent of Chinese tariff lines and 70.3 percent of Maldivian tariff lines being immediately tariff-free after the agreement took effect.

Zhejiang Lixing Furniture Co is Huzhou's first company venturing into the Maldives market through this agreement. Shen Lifei, the company's foreign trade director, said, "The Maldivian customer is our long-term partner. The agreement exempted the tariff on our furniture, not only reducing the customer's procurement costs but also enhancing our competitiveness for future orders."

Key exports from Huzhou such as mechanical and electrical equipment, furniture, and textiles have been included in the list for reduced tariffs. Notably, the tariff on green smart home products has dropped from 5 percent to zero, while textile tariffs will gradually diminish from 10 percent to zero, significantly boosting the competitiveness of Huzhou products in the Maldives.

To help Huzhou enterprises make the most of the China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement, Huzhou Customs has tailored support that includes personalized training and streamlined certification issuance.