Customs officials provide guidance on policies to enterprises. [Photo by Yu Xiangpeng/Tide News]

Ningbo Customs issued Zhejiang province's first China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) movement certificate on March 7, marking a new step in facilitating regional trade and helping businesses cut costs.

On March 7, the bonded zone customs office under Ningbo Customs granted the certificate to Ningbo Zhejin Steel. The document is expected to save the company more than $200,000 in tariffs and enable its goods to receive preferential treatment when entering other ASEAN markets.

A movement certificate is a type of certificate of origin used to prove that goods originating in ASEAN member states remain under customs supervision when transported through another territory within the China-ASEAN FTA. Provided the goods undergo no processing other than loading or unloading, they can still enjoy tariff preferences in the final importing country.

The certificate issued this time covers a shipment of coking coal imported from Indonesia, which was transferred through a bonded zone in Ningbo before being exported to Vietnam.

According to Lin Xufeng, manager of Ningbo Zhejin Steel, the certificate significantly reduces customs costs for clients and boosts the company's price competitiveness in the ASEAN market.

To streamline the process, customs officials provided policy guidance and opened a green channel to expedite approval, ensuring the certificate was issued efficiently.