On May 11, Jinling Customs issued a China-Ecuador FTA Certificate of Origin to Nanjing Prettie Plastics Co., Ltd for their export of artificial grass products valued at about 433,500 yuan. This certificate will enable the company to benefit from around 20,000 yuan in reduced import tariffs in Ecuador.

This is the first China-Ecuador FTA Certificate of Origin issued in Nanjing. The Free Trade Agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Ecuador took effect on May 1.

Under this agreement, the two countries will abolish tariffs imposed on 90% of categories, with 60% of tariffs eliminated immediately upon the agreement’s implementation.

“Our company expects to export goods worth about 2,167,700 U.S. dollars to Ecuador this year,” said Wu Yunjin, the head of Nanjing Prettie. “The tariffs on our artificial grass, artificial grass yarn, and other related products will drop from 20%-25% to 0, saving us between 350,000 and 500,000 U.S. dollars in costs.”

According to Jinling Customs, from January to April, they issued 13,549 certificates of origin for exports, a 15.01% increase compared to last year, covering goods worth over 5.3 billion yuan.

To speed up the process, Jinling Customs has introduced intelligent audits and self-service printing for certificates of origin. These measures have shortened the application cycle, helping goods arrive in ports quickly to enjoy tariff reductions based on these certificates.