1. Peru’s status
Peru is a party to the Apostille Convention.
For Chinese documents destined for Peru, an apostille issued in China replaces consular legalization.
2. The FTA context
Peru has a free trade agreement with China, in force since 2010, with an upgrade protocol signed in 2024 and effective from November 2026.
The upgrade expanded tariff elimination and revised several chapters.
For exporters, the upgrade means a product previously excluded or partially covered may now qualify.
3. The certificate
The China-Peru FTA certificate of origin is issued by China Customs or CCPIT.
The format is specific to the agreement. It is not interchangeable with Form E, the RCEP certificate, or the ordinary CO.
Where the upgrade changed the form or the criterion codes, work from the current version rather than an older template.
4. Origin criteria
Wholly obtained, change in tariff classification and regional value content.
The threshold for regional value content is generally 40 percent on FOB value.
Peru’s tariff schedule subdivides beyond the six-digit level. The goods description should support classification.
5. What requires an apostille
Business licence, for registration and tender participation.
Powers of attorney.
Contracts.
Free sale certificates, for product registration with DIGESA for food and health products.
Company registration documents.
Civil documents.
6. The customs entry
Peruvian customs, administered by SUNAT, requires the certificate of origin for preferential claims, plus the commercial invoice and packing list.
Peru applies specific documentary requirements for certain product categories, including sanitary registration for food and pharmaceuticals.
7. Timing
Apostille issuance is typically a matter of days.
For the FTA certificate, issuance runs one to two working days for complete applications.
8. The upgrade’s practical effect
The 2026 upgrade protocol revised the agreement across multiple areas. For exporters:
Tariff elimination expanded to more products.
Origin rules for some product lines changed.
Customs procedures and trade facilitation provisions were updated.
An analysis done before the upgrade should be redone. Products previously excluded may now qualify, and products that qualified may face different criterion requirements.
This is a genuinely useful moment to recheck. The agreement changed, and the analysis that was right in 2024 may not be right now.
9. Common errors
Running the consular route
Peru is a Hague party. The apostille applies.
Using a pre-upgrade analysis
The protocol changed coverage and rules.
Certificate format confusion
The China-Peru certificate is not interchangeable with other formats.
No Spanish translation where required
Peruvian authorities operate in Spanish. Where documents are to be used before authorities, translation may be required.
10. Closing view
Peru is a comparatively straightforward destination on documentation, and the interesting question is the FTA.
The upgrade protocol is recent enough that most exporters have not revisited their analysis. Those who do are likely to find products that now qualify.
*This article is based on the China-Peru Free Trade Agreement and its upgrade protocol as published by China’s Ministry of Commerce Free Trade Area Service Network, and on the Apostille Convention. Exporters should confirm current requirements with their issuing authority.*