On January 1, 2022, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) entered into force.

On the same day, the Sichuan Provincial Trade Promotion System issued the first batch of RCEP preferential certificates of origin to a number of enterprises, including textiles, feed additives, mechanical and electrical products, chemical products, etc., which involved us $656,500 in export value and helped enterprises reduce tariffs by US $36,800.

Ma Xin, chairman of Sichuan Xinlixin Import & Export Co., LTD., said that in recent years, the company has actively responded to China's "Belt and Road" initiative and continued to promote international operation. The annual import and export volume has increased year by year.After the RCEP takes effect, the dividend of tariff reduction and exemption will promote the growth of import and export orders of the company, expand import and export channels, further optimize the industrial chain and enhance its international competitiveness.

He Mingqian, general manager of Sichuan Changhong Power Supply Co., LTD., said that the company currently exports RCEP goods worth $10 million a year.When RCEP takes effect, it will reduce a large number of import and export tariffs for the company, which will help reduce production costs, enhance product price advantages, stabilize export orders, and promote business exchanges with RCEP member countries.With this momentum, the company will deeply participate in the "Belt and Road" construction, further improve the level of international operation, foster global competitiveness.

RCEP is the world's largest free trade agreement, with its total population, economic volume and trade volume accounting for about 30 percent of the global total. The RCEP comprises 10 ASEAN countries and five countries -- China, Japan,South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.After the RCEP takes effect, over 90 percent of trade in goods in the region will gradually be tariff-free, either immediately or within 10 years.

As a large province with an open economy, Sichuan enjoys close economic and trade exchanges with RCEP member states.Data from Chengdu Customs show that from January to November 2021, Sichuan's import and export value to RCEP countries was 265.25 billion yuan, accounting for 31.1% of Sichuan's total foreign trade. More than 3,100 enterprises in The province conducted trade with RCEP countries.

How can we help enterprises seize the major opportunities when RCEP takes effect?Huang Li, president of CCPIT Sichuan, said that in the coming days, CCPIT Sichuan will hold RCEP international forum and enterprise training to strengthen the publicity of RCEP policy interpretation, managingto issue RCEP preferential certificates of origin, and sending RCEP "tariff reduction" coupons to foreign trade enterprises, to carry out foreign compliance risk training and investigation for small and medium-sized enterprises, establish an economic and trade early warning information collection system in Sichuan, and provide diversified legal services.（Liu Wenjun）