On January 1, 2026, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council’s 2026 Tariff Adjustment Plan officially took effect. China began applying a new round of agreement rates to imported goods under RCEP. Under the plan, China further lowered tariffs under its free trade agreements with New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, ASEAN and others, as well as under RCEP. At the same time, imported goods that had already undergone tariff reductions continued to enjoy the corresponding agreement rates.
Dual Progress in Tariffs and Institutional Arrangements
In terms of overall tariff reduction progress, more than 90% of products in the RCEP region are expected to gradually achieve zero tariffs. More categories, such as ASEAN machinery, textiles and agricultural products, entered the zero-tariff stage in 2026. Industrial intermediate goods such as chemicals, machinery products and components were key areas covered by this round of tariff cuts. Member states are gradually eliminating tariffs on key products such as mechanical and electronic goods, chemical raw materials and textile intermediates. The institutional costs of cross-border circulation of intermediate goods in the region are trending downward.
In addition to tariffs, trade facilitation measures are being advanced in parallel. Starting June 1, 2026, the China–Malaysia Origin Electronic Information Exchange System was officially launched. China and Malaysia transmit data in real time on RCEP certificates of origin, back-to-back certificates of origin and other documents. When importers choose paperless customs declaration, they no longer need to separately fill in electronic origin certificate data or upload certificates.
Potential Impact on Industrial Honeycomb Panel Procurement
Industrial honeycomb panels and composite packaging materials fall under the category of industrial intermediate goods. Under RCEP regional cumulation rules, raw materials and processing value-added from the 15 member states can be cumulated. A product can obtain originating status if its regional value content reaches 40%. This rule provides a more flexible path to tariff preferences for honeycomb panel products made from raw materials sourced from multiple countries. For Australian and ASEAN buyers purchasing honeycomb panels from China, the final applicable tariff rate depends on the product’s HS code, the origin determination result and the specific commitments of the importing member, and must be confirmed on a case-by-case basis.
Company Observation
2026 is the fifth year of RCEP’s full implementation. Regional tariff concessions and facilitation of rules of origin continue to advance. For buyers of industrial honeycomb panels and composite materials, it is advisable to monitor annual updates to the importing country’s official tariff schedule and to communicate with suppliers and customs brokers on origin determination. The company will continue to follow changes in RCEP-related rules and provide industrial customers in the Asia-Pacific with honeycomb panel products and supporting documentation that meet origin requirements.