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Switzerland-EU: alternative application of rules of origin as of September 1

The revised rules of origin will be introduced at the Regional Convention on preferential pan-Euro-Mediterranean rules of origin (PEM Convention). The alternative application will apply from September 1, 2021, according to the Federal Customs Administration.

Ursprungsregeln

The PEM Convention is a key instrument for preferential trade in goods under free trade agreements within the Pan-Euro-Med cumulation zone. In November 2019, the contracting parties were unable to agree on a compromise text, which is why the revised PEM Agreement could not be adopted. The majority of the contracting parties, including Switzerland, have therefore decided to apply the revised rules bilaterally on a transitional basis.

This in intended to enable the companies of these contracting parties to already benefit from the revised rules of the Convention, making the administration of the rules of origin more flexible and simpler. The transitional period will end as soon as the revised PEM Convention is adopted.

What changes will the transitional rules bring for SMEs?

The rules of origin of the PEM Convention have been substantially revised. They entail administrative simplifications, namely through the removal of the proof of origin EUR-MED and the standardization of the product-specific list rules. A list of the most important changes can be found here (in German).

Do you have any questions about the application of free trade agreements?

Switzerland Global Enterprise’s ExportHelp team is the first point of contact for Swiss and Liechtenstein SMEs. Contact our ExportHelp team by email or over the phone at 0844 811 812.

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