Maldives Customs Service (MCS) has made arrangements for local exporters to obtain the certificate of origin for exports to China under the Maldives-China Free Trade Agreement.
Customs said that applications for Certificate of Origin for goods exported to China under the China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement, will be available online from 15 August. The certificate can be applied for through the Customs portal along with the required payments and the approval will be notified to the applicant via the portal, MCS said.
The FTA, signed in 2014 and approved by the Maldivian Parliament in 2017, had its implementation suspended following a change in administration in 2018. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, who assumed office in November 2023, and his administration have been working diligently to bring the FTA into effect. As of 1 January, the agreement is now fully operational.
The FTA enables all fishery products processed and produced in the Maldives to be exported to China at a zero-rate tariff. This measure is projected to significantly boost the export potential of Maldivian seafood, which continues to be the nation's largest export commodity.
Duty exemptions will be applied to 296 categories of seafood, including sea cucumber, salted fish, grouper, mariculture products, skipjack tuna, and yellowfin tuna.