About this agreement
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a modern, comprehensive, high-quality and mutually beneficial economic partnership that builds on existing bilateral ASEAN agreements with its 5 Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Partners. It will further broaden and deepen Singapore’s economic connectivity with the region, open up opportunities and provide businesses with preferential access to the region.
1 January 2022
Entry into force in Brunei, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand.
1 February 2022
Entry into force in the Republic of Korea
4 March 2022
Entry into force in Myanmar
18 March 2022
Entry into force in Malaysia
2 January 2023
Entry into force in Indonesia
2 June 2023
Entry into force in The Philippines
Key benefits
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Tariff elimination and preferenceTariff elimination for about 92% of goods traded among RCEP Parties. Additional preferential market access for specific products including mineral fuels, plastics, other chemical products, miscellaneous food preparations and beverages in selected RCEP markets such as China, Japan and Korea. -
Streamlined rules of originStreamlined rules of origin to give businesses greater flexibility to tap on preferential market access benefits. Regional cumulation provisions will also allow businesses to take advantage of regional supply chains.
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Simplified customs procedures and enhanced trade facilitation provisions
- Simplified customs procedures and enhanced trade facilitation provisions will allow efficient administration of procedures and expeditious clearance of goods including the release of express consignments and perishable goods within 6 hours of arrival.
- Enhanced commitments above existing ASEAN Plus One FTAs in Professional Services, Research and Development, Computer and Related Services, Distribution and Logistics Services, among others.
- RCEP includes commitments to prohibit performance requirements on investors and provisions to lock in future relaxation of measures and mitigate back tracking.
- Other benefits include expanded scope and commitments in new areas such as E-Commerce, Competition policy and Intellectual Property Rights.
Eligibility
Use the Tariff Finder to see if your product is eligible to enjoy this FTA's tariff concessions.
Alternatively, you can explore the following steps to check your eligibility.
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Your product’s preferential rateCheck the preferential rates offered for your product in:
- Brunei Darussalam
- Cambodia
- Indonesia’s Schedule for ASEAN
- Indonesia’s Schedule for Australia
- Indonesia’s Schedule for China
- Indonesia’s Schedule for Japan
- Indonesia’s Schedule for Korea
- Indonesia’s Schedule for New Zealand
- Indonesia: Appendix on Tariff Differentials
- Lao PDR
- Malaysia
- Malaysia (TRQ)
- Myanmar
- Philippines (Common Concession)
- Philippines’s Schedule for Australia and New Zealand
- Philippines’s Schedule for China
- Philippines’s Schedule for Japan
- Philippines’s Schedule for Korea
- Philippines: Appendix on Tariff Differentials
- Thailand
- Thailand – Appendix on Tariff Differentials
- Viet Nam’s Schedule for ASEAN
- Viet Nam’s Schedule for Australia
- Viet Nam’s Schedule for China
- Viet Nam’s Schedule for Japan
- Viet Nam’s Schedule for Korea
- Viet Nam’s Schedule for New Zealand
- Viet Nam – Appendix on Tariff Differentials
- Australia
- China’s Schedule for ASEAN
- China’s Schedule for Australia
- China’s Schedule for Japan
- China’s Schedule for Korea
- China’s Schedule for New Zealand
- China – Appendix on Tariff Differentials
- Japan
- Japan – Appendix on Tariff Differentials
- Korea’s Schedule for ASEAN
- Korea’s Schedule for Australia
- Korea’s Schedule for China
- Korea’s Schedule for Japan
- Korea’s Schedule for New Zealand
- Korea: Appendix on Tariff Differentials
- New Zealand
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Your product’s rule of origin
Rules of origin are a set of criteria which determine a product's originating status in each respective FTA.
It is put in place to ensure that only goods originating from the FTA partner countries will benefit from tariff concessions.
Is your product obtained/produced entirely in an RCEP country? 
Your product is considered wholly obtained in an RCEP country (Article 3.3 of Chapter 3) 
Is your product produced in an RCEP country, exclusively from originating materials from one or more RCEP countries?
Your product may be considered as originating from an RCEP country*# [Article 3.2(b) of Chapter 3]
Is your product produced in an RCEP country, using non-originating materials from one or more RCEP countries?
Product-Specific Rules(PSR) apply
* If your product is produced exclusively from originating materials from one or more RCEP countries, but does not go beyond the minimal operations and processes (Article 2.6.2 of Chapter 2), the RCEP country of origin will be the country that contributed the highest value of originating materials used in the production of that product.
# If you are exporting to any of the 7 RCEP countries that impose Tariff Differentials and your product is listed in its Appendix to Annex I on Tariff Differentials, in addition to satisfying the Produced Exclusively criteria or PSR, the product must also meet the additional requirement (i.e. Domestic Value Content of at least 20%) for the product to qualify as originating from the exporting country.
The extent of the RCEP’s benefits may differ across different product HS codes when compared to the other ASEAN’s FTAs. Companies are encouraged to study the RCEP and other relevant FTAs to assess and tap the FTA which they can reap the most benefit from.Is your product obtained/produced entirely in an RCEP country?
Your product is considered wholly obtained in an RCEP country (Article 3.3 of Chapter 3) Is your product produced in an RCEP country, exclusively from originating materials from one or more RCEP countries?
Your product may be considered as originating from an RCEP country*# [Article 3.2(b) of Chapter 3] Is your product produced in an RCEP country, using non-originating materials from one or more RCEP countries?
Product-Specific Rules(PSR) apply * If your product is produced exclusively from originating materials from one or more RCEP countries, but does not go beyond the minimal operations and processes (Article 2.6.2 of Chapter 2), the RCEP country of origin will be the country that contributed the highest value of originating materials used in the production of that product.
# If you are exporting to any of the 7 RCEP countries that impose Tariff Differentials and your product is listed in its Appendix to Annex I on Tariff Differentials, in addition to satisfying the Produced Exclusively criteria or PSR, the product must also meet the additional requirement (i.e. Domestic Value Content of at least 20%) for the product to qualify as originating from the exporting country.
The extent of the RCEP’s benefits may differ across different product HS codes when compared to the other ASEAN’s FTAs. Companies are encouraged to study the RCEP and other relevant FTAs to assess and tap the FTA which they can reap the most benefit from.
Apply
Singapore Customs is the authorised body in Singapore for FTA Preferential Certificate of Origin (PCO) application.
If your product is eligible, follow these application steps to enjoy tariff concessions:- Register your factory with Singapore Customs using the Manufacturer's Application Form
- Submit the Manufacturing Cost Statement
- Apply for a Preferential Certificate of Origin (PCO)
The process from registration to receiving the PCO typically takes less than one month.
Submit your application
Apply for a PCO with export permit under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) via TradeNet.
Resources
Need additional help?
For assistance, contact us at +65 6898 1800, reach us here or visit the SME Centres.
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
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