Han Ximin

1824295095@qq.com

SINCE the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) between the mainland and Hong Kong was put into effect in 2004, a total of 31.32 billion yuan (US$4.67 billion) worth of goods had been imported from Hong Kong via Shenzhen Customs as of May this year, with 3.24 billion yuan in tariff reduction on these goods, the customs said in a release yesterday.

Shenzhen has long been one of the foremost ports on the mainland for importing Hong Kong goods since the CEPA came into effect. Under the agreement, Hong Kong-made products have been imported without tariffs through Shenzhen’s 11 checkpoints to the mainland. In 2004, 260 million yuan worth of goods in total were imported through the checkpoints and the figure increased ninefold in 2021, reaching 2.51 billion yuan, according to the customs.

Data showed that in 2021 alone, 146 enterprises in Shenzhen Customs-administered area, which covers Shenzhen and Huizhou, enjoyed CEPA tariff preference, involving a wide variety of goods such as food, plastics, mechanical and electrical products, cosmetics and chemical products. On the Hong Kong side, the biggest beneficiaries included mooncake manufacturers and modern industries such as the mechanical and electrical sector.

To provide highly efficient declaration services, Shenzhen Customs has set up green channels for CEPA goods at Wenjindu and Huanggang checkpoints and the issuance of electronic versions of the Certificate of Origin has helped save time for importers and exporters.

The mainland-Hong Kong CEPA signed June 29, 2003 is the first free trade agreement between the two sides.

Under the agreement, starting from Jan. 1, 2006, all goods originating from Hong Kong, except for prohibited items, can enjoy zero-tariff preference upon importation into the mainland, as long as the CEPA rules of origin is met and each consignment of goods is accompanied by a Certificate of Origin.

The CEPA has opened up huge markets for Hong Kong goods and services, providing a window of opportunity for Hong Kong businesses to gain greater access to the mainland market.

It adopts a building block approach, and the two sides have been working closely to introduce further liberalization measures continually.

On Dec.14, 2018, the mainland and Hong Kong signed the Agreement on Trade in Goods under the CEPA framework, consolidating and updating the commitments on liberalization and facilitation of trade in goods under the CEPA.