Baotou Customs has been making great strides in helping with enterprises’ export business, relieving the pressure of the companies admid the novel coronavirus outbreak, according an article in the Baotou Daily.

A total of 467 certificates of origin were issued by Baotou Customs in the first quarter of 2020, on goods worth 845 million yuan ($119 million). Enterprises can enjoy tariff reductions or exemptions on goods, officials said.

In the first quarter, certificates of origin Chinese product visas were issued by Baotou Customs covered areas including steel products, seed kernels, rare earth products, cashmere products, machinery and equipment.

The products were mainly exported to 50 countries and regions including Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, Pakistan, Chile and the United Kingdom.

On April 16, with a certificate of origin for the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, Baotou Steel International Economic & Trading Co shipped a batch of galvanized coils worth more than 3.5 million yuan to the Thai market, enjoying a preferential tariff of about 177,000 yuan.

During the epidemic prevention and control period, Baotou Customs promoted its services, answered questions to enterprises through WeChat, telephone and other online methods.

It strengthened the interpretation of rules of origin, improved the quality of visas and regulated the standards of origin applicable to exported products.