Sri Lanka’s first ever EU GSP online exporter listing launched
Sri Lanka’s first ever European Union (EU) mandated GSP exporter listing call has been put live on the Internet yesterday.
“I commend the Department of Commerce under our Ministry for setting up this system and operationalising exactly on the first working day of 2018. We thank the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) for their support too,” Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen has reportedly said.
Bathiudeen has made this observation addressing the launch of the Sri Lanka Department of Commerce’s revamped website doc.gov.lk, which for the first time also integrates the REX registration system which will become a mandatory requirement for all exporters to the EU who want to claim the EU’s GSP Plus benefits.
Sri Lanka’s total exports to the EU increased to US$ 3.1 billion in 2016 from 2015’s US$ 3 billion. Usually around 60% of this is made up of apparel exports.
The REX registration system will become a mandatory requirement for all exporters to the EU who want to claim the EU GSP Plus benefits –the zero tariff on their exports. Approximately 3,500 Lankan exporters are expected to register before the end of this year online through the doc.gov.lk site. This registration is not required for Lankan exporters to the EU who do not want to claim GSP Plus benefits. It is also not required of Lankan exporters who export to the EU and want to claim GSP Plus benefits but whose exports are valued at less than € 6,000.
REX registration is free of charge. Once the online documents are submitted, printed copies of the submission too should be sent to the Department of Commerce by the exporter, after which the Department in Colombo, having conducted site and factory visits of the exporting company, will decide on awarding the unique ID number called REX Number (in the LK-REX [TIN] format), which the exporter will hold as a verification number over the long term and will be able to provide to any EU importer for verification at the importer’s end.
This REX number is issued for long-term use and each registered exporter will receive their own REX number once they qualify through the Department of Commerce, the deciding authority for Sri Lanka. Already 30 Lankan exporters to the EU have made their submissions and the department is processing them at present. Exporters who want EU GSP benefits cannot submit applications after 31 December 2018 and therefore all such exporters need to complete and obtain their REX numbers within this year. Exporters to the EU who qualify and earn a REX number are not required to submit Certificates of Origin (COO) but are only required to submit a Statement of Origin for their exports.
According to the Department of Commerce there are more than 5,000 Lankan exporters registered with the department to export under various trade agreements and facilities (such as FTAs, APTA, SAFTA, GSP Plus, etc.) and 3,500 of them are exporting to the EU under the GSP Plus facility. They are now called to complete their listing on or before 31 December 2018, totally free of charge.
OSL take:
The online application of integrating the REX registration system which will be a mandatory requirement for all exporters to the EU who want to claim the EU’s GSP Plus benefits will undoubtedly make it easier for exporters to reap the benefits of the GSP Plus as well as other trade agreements.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20180103/Z-4 |