Natural stone products manufacturer Xiamen Refine Stone Industrial Co Ltd recently received the first China-Maldives certificate of original issued by Fujian province after the China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took effect on Jan 1, 2025.

A company representative printed out the China-Maldives preferential certificate of origin in the comprehensive service hall of the Dongdu Customs office in the Xiamen Free Trade Zone on Jan 3.

The certificate then served as proof of the "zero tariff" for a consignment of architectural marble that was exported to the Maldives.

"Our company is not large in scale, so we rely on FTAs to reduce costs and expand markets," said Zeng Fanying, the company's declarant.

"With the China-Maldives FTA taking effect this year, our company's confidence and advantages in trade negotiations have increased, allowing us to explore new export markets," Zeng added.

The China-Maldives FTA has achieved effective high-level tariff reductions, with zero-tariff treatment for over 95 percent of tariff lines and trade volumes.

Fujian's advantageous export products including machinery, electronics and furniture will all benefit from the agreement. 

On the import side, Maldives' products like seafood, textiles and nuts will also receive preferential treatment, further boosting the development of trade between both sides.