Duties & taxes
Using trade agreements to cut duty to zero
How rules of origin work and which proof your buyer needs to claim preferential duty.
5 min read
What a trade agreement does
Agreements such as EU–Egypt, the Agadir Agreement, GAFTA and the GCC customs union remove or cut duty on goods that originate in a member country.
Proving origin
Your goods must meet the agreement's rules of origin — usually enough local processing or local content. You then issue the required proof: an EUR.1 certificate, an origin declaration on the invoice, or a certificate of origin.
Watch out
A wrong or missing proof means the buyer pays full duty, sometimes years later after an audit. Keep your supplier declarations and production records.
Put this guide to work
General guidance only — confirm rates and requirements with a customs broker for your shipment.