1. What the Form E is for
The Form E is the preferential certificate for trade between China and the ASEAN member states.
It is issued for goods exported from China to an ASEAN country.
2. The ASEAN side
For goods entering China from ASEAN, the same agreement applies, with the certificate issued by the exporting state’s authority.
3. The agreement’s evolution
The original agreement
The Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Co-operation, and its Trade in Goods Agreement, in force from 2005.
The upgrade
The Protocol to amend the framework agreement, signed in 2015.
ASEAN 3.0
The upgrading protocol concluded in 2025, with implementation still in progress.
4. What exporters should know
The 2015 upgrade changed some rules of origin and some certificate procedures, and the certificate format was updated accordingly.
5. The relationship with RCEP
RCEP entered into force for China on 1 January 2022, and covers all ten ASEAN members plus five other partners.
For a shipment from China to an ASEAN country, two preferential routes may be available:
The bilateral agreement, with the Form E.
RCEP, with the RCEP certificate.
6. Which to choose
Compare the preferential rate each agreement delivers for the specific product.
Compare the origin rules. A good may qualify under one and not the other.
Compare the documentary burden.
7. The Form E fields that matter
Consignee.
Port of discharge.
Product description and HS code.
Origin criterion.
FOB value.
Invoice number and date.
8. Closing view
The Form E remains the workhorse certificate for ASEAN trade, and increasingly competes with the RCEP certificate for the same shipment.
Choosing between them is a calculation, not a habit.
*This article is based on the China-ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement and RCEP. Exporters should confirm requirements with China Customs and the importing authority.*