Malaysia’s goods origin certification mechanism under RCEP
The RCEP Agreement provides for 3 origin certification mechanisms, corresponding to 3 forms of documents certifying origin, applied commonly to goods claiming RCEP preferences regardless of the export market within RCEP. Specifically:
- Issuance of a certificate of origin (C/O): the C/O is issued by the issuing authority or organization of the exporting member state (also called the traditional C/O issuance mechanism).
- Self-certification of origin by an approved exporter: only approved exporters may self-certify origin on their own commercial documents, and each RCEP member may determine the conditions that exporters must satisfy to be allowed to self-certify origin.
- Self-certification of origin by any exporter or producer: this form allows any exporter or producer to self-certify origin on commercial documents.
This is the form of origin certification that new-generation FTAs are moving toward. However, all RCEP members maintain reservations regarding the implementation timetable for this form of self-certification. Vietnam and Malaysia have the same reservation, under which they will only begin implementing this mechanism within 10 years from the date RCEP enters into force, with a possible extension of up to another 10 years.
Source: Center for WTO and International Trade - VCCI
