Page 15 - Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

other documentation, other than that generally required for customs duty to be applied in accordance with paragraph 1, as
customs clearance purposes, to the relevant administrative soon as practicable but not later than the date of the application.
body of the importing Party as a prior condition for
importation into the territory of the importing Party; and
Article 2.5: Acceleration of Tariff Commitments
1
(f) originating good means a good that qualifies as an
originating good in accordance with Chapter 3 (Rules of 1. Nothing in this Agreement shall preclude the Parties from
Origin). amending this Agreement in accordance with Article 20.4
(Amendments), to accelerate or improve the tariff commitments
set out in their Schedules in Annex I (Schedules of Tariff
Article 2.2: Scope Commitments).

Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, this Chapter shall apply 2. Two or more Parties may, based on mutual consent, consult on
2
to trade in goods among the Parties. the acceleration or improvement of tariff commitments set out in
their Schedules in Annex I (Schedules of Tariff Commitments).
An agreement to accelerate or improve the tariff commitments
Article 2.3: National Treatment on Internal Taxation and Regulation between these Parties shall be implemented through a
modification to their Schedules in Annex I (Schedules of Tariff
Each Party shall accord national treatment to the goods of the other Commitments) in accordance with Article 20.4 (Amendments).
Parties in accordance with Article III of GATT 1994. To this end, Article Any such acceleration or improvement of tariff commitments shall
III of GATT 1994 is incorporated into and made part of this Agreement, be extended to all Parties.
mutatis mutandis.
3. A Party may, at any time, unilaterally accelerate or improve its
tariff commitments set out in its Schedule in Annex I (Schedules
Article 2.4: Reduction or Elimination of Customs Duties of Tariff Commitments). Any such acceleration or improvement
of its tariff commitment shall be extended to all Parties. Such
1. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, each Party shall Party shall inform the other Parties as early as practicable before
reduce or eliminate its customs duties on originating goods of the new preferential rate of customs duty takes effect.
other Parties in accordance with its Schedule in Annex I
(Schedules of Tariff Commitments). 4. For greater certainty, following a Party’s unilateral acceleration or
improvement of its tariff commitments referred to in paragraph 3,
2. For greater certainty, in accordance with the WTO Agreement, that Party may raise its preferential customs duty to a level not
originating goods of other Parties shall be eligible, at the time of exceeding the preferential rate of customs duty set out in its
importation, for the most-favoured-nation applied rate of customs Schedule in Annex I (Schedules of Tariff Commitments) for the
duty for those goods in a Party, where that rate is lower than the relevant year. Such Party shall inform the other Parties of the
rate of customs duty provided for in that Party’s Schedule in date from which the new preferential rate of customs duty takes
Annex I (Schedules of Tariff Commitments). Subject to its laws effect, as early as practicable before such date.
and regulations, each Party shall provide that an importer may
apply for a refund of any excess duty paid for a good if the
importer did not make a claim for the lower rate at the time of
importation.

3. Further to subparagraph 1(b) of Article 4.5 (Transparency), each 1 For greater certainty, this Article shall apply only to tariff commitments under this
Party shall make publicly available any amendments to its most- Agreement.
favoured-nation applied rate of customs duty, and the latest 2 For the purposes of this paragraph, “two or more Parties” means some of, but not all
of, the Parties.

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