Customs officers inspect the products that are being exported to Maldives. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Nantong Customs in Jiangsu province issued the city's first export certificate of origin under the free trade agreement (FTA) between China and Maldives on Jan 1.

On Jan 1, the China-Maldives FTA is scheduled to come into effect. The certificate was issued to China Tianying, a company specializing in clean energy solutions, smart urban environmental services, and the recycling and recovery of resources.

Maldives is an emerging market that the company has been developing in recent years. Implementing the FTA has created favorable conditions for the company.

"This certificate allows this batch of our products, valued at 25.33 million yuan ($3.47 million), to receive a tariff reduction of 4.28 million yuan," said Chen Si, who manages the company's customs affairs.

"After the FTA takes effect, import tariffs in the Maldives for our products will be reduced from the original rates of 10 percent and 20 percent to zero. This reduction greatly enhances the competitiveness of our products in overseas markets and further strengthens our confidence in expanding our market reach," Chen added.

Under the tariff reduction arrangements of the China-Maldives FTA, both parties have committed to implementing zero tariffs on more than 95 percent of product categories. As a result, a vast majority of China's industrial exports to the Maldives, including ships, electrical equipment, furniture, and agricultural products, will benefit from this agreement.