A Shanghai-developed preferential duty system for the China–ASEAN Free Trade Agreement that has gone online in English in Malaysia was announced at the China International Import Expo on Monday.

Smart FTAX was developed by the Shanghai-based Asia-Pacific Model E-port Network Operational Center. It's an intelligent tax system which can provide one-stop services and offer appropriate solutions on saving tax.

"Free trade agreement is an important tool for countries to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, as well as global economic growth," said Wang Shouwen, China's commerce ministers. "China has prioritized FTA development as a national strategy in Davos to establish a highly respondent and globally-oriented FTA network, covering neighbors, countries involved in the Belt and Road initiative."

So far China has signed 17 free trade agreements with 25 economies with some goods involved enjoying zero tariffs.

With the system, Chinese and Malaysian enterprises will conveniently find relevant information of goods including FTA tariff rates, rules of origin, harmonized system codes and other regulatory rules, said Wang.

Y.B.Datuk Darell Leiking, Malaysia's minister of international trade and industry, said Malaysia attachedhigh emphasis on regional and bilateral trade agreements. Malaysia has implemented seven bilateral FTAs and six regional FTAs, he said.

"It (Smart FTAX) will make your business much easier," said Leiking. He was glad to see the system going online and available in English.

Previous surveys showed that some companies didn't know much about FTA agreements and preferential clauses. They also, prior to the system, had to undergo 10 procedures to get preferential duty and could easily face risks like selecting an export place with higher tarriffs and violating the rules of origin.

The rules of origin are used to determine the country of origin of a product for purposes of international trade. Sometimes that will be confusing for companies when a product's manufacturing is completed in several countries.

The intelligent system will help companies tget their best choice by comparingtarriffs between different free trade agreements and provide solutions for rules of origin. Document templates of origin certificate and standards of form filling are available on the system.