A Tra catfish processing line for export to the EU. — Photo baocongthuong.vn

Local exporters should accelerate the registration of REX codes to enjoy preferential tariffs from the European Union as the EU, Norway and Switzerland would not accept the certification of origin of goods (C/O) form A from the beginning of July.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the EU has asked Vietnamese firms to register the REX codes as soon as possible.

REX, or registered exporter system, is a system of certification of origin of goods based on self-certification. It has been applied in Viet Nam since January 1, 2019. Exporters therefore have to register the REX code instead of C/O form A. Firms which do not have the REX codes have been allowed to use C/O form A in the transition period. The period would end on June 30.

The Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) is in charge of receiving exporters’ application for registration of REX Code and carrying out the registration.

However, the process of registering the codes has been slow, said the MoIT.

Earlier, the ministry sent a document to VCCI to accelerate the registration. Meanwhile, businesses exporting to the EU, Norway and Switzerland should quickly contact the VCCI to register the REX code.

MoIT also promulgated Circular 38/2018/TT-BCT regulating the implementation of certificates of origin of goods under Generalised System of Preferences Treatment (GSP) that is the tariff for developing countries.

Accordingly, businesses could register for the REX codes online or directly sending applications to VCCI within six months from December 14, 2018.

Particularly for export shipments with a total value of not more than 6,000 EUR (calculated according to the factory price), traders are certified origin for that shipment without having to register the REX code as prescribed. — VNS