Who can believe that the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) has now been in place for over one year.
ChAFTA’s first birthday, the 20th December, came and went without so much of a celebration, but for those that deal with this document daily, this year has been a hard one.
Since entering into force on this date in 2015, Chinese suppliers and Australian buyers have had to iron out many problems. These ranged from the wording on the document being incorrect, to problems with suppliers providing the only acceptable document – which can be found here.
Whilst the initial teething period has now past, everyone involved can now breathe a sigh of relief. The majority of the suppliers in China are now aware of the requirements of Australian Importers and these importers are reaping the benefits of this historic agreement with our biggest trading partner.
We’ve put together a list of points that should be made when requesting a ChAFTA from your supplier:
- There are many different Certificate of Origins – but there is only one acceptable for the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. You can find a copy here.
- All fields of the document must be completed – including the origin criterion and the correct Australian HS code.
- Box number 12 (invoice number and date) MUST show the same number as shown on your commercial invoice. Box number 5 is to be utilised for different invoice numbers and subsequent information.
- The document must be signed and stamped by the appropriate authorising body in China (there’s only two!). We’ve listed them below:
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ)
The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade
One of the major benefits of the ChAFTA is reduced or eliminated duty rates for goods arriving into Australia. Happy Belated Anniversary ChAFTA!
