The Registered Exporter system (the REX system) is a system of certification of origin of goods based on a principle of self-certification.The origin of goods is declared by economic operators themselves by means of so-called statements on origin. To be entitled to make out a statement on origin, an economic operator has to be registered in a database by his competent authorities. The economic operator becomes a "registered exporter".
The REX system is the term used to designate the system of certification of origin as a whole, and not only the underlying IT system which is used for the registration of exporters.
For the time being, the REX system is used by EU exporters in the context of some FTAs, in the context of the GSP of the EU and in the context of the Overseas Association Decision.
The REX IT system has been developed by the European Commission and is made available to the Member States of the EU, to the GSP beneficiary countries and to the OCTs. It takes the form of a Web application accessed with a username and a password as a website through Internet. The only technical requirement is then to use a device connected to Internet to be able to use the REX system.
The main functionalities of the REX system are:
Registration of exporters: Exporters apply to become registered exporters by filling in an application form and by returning it to their competent authorities. The competent authorities register exporters who submit complete and correct application forms.
Modification of registration data: once registered, a registered exporter has the obligation to communicate to his competent authorities all changes on his registered data. The competent authorities then perform the modifications in the REX system for the registered exporter.
Revocation of exporters: in some cases, a registered exporter will be revoked from the REX system. This can happen for instance if the company ceases to exist or if the registered exporter commits fraud. Depending on the reason, the revocation is done either on request of the registered exporter or on the initiative of the competent authorities.
With those three functionalities of registration of exporters, modification of registered data, and revocation of exporters, it is the responsibility of the competent authorities to keep at all-time an accurate repository of registered exporters.
The data of the REX system is published and maybe searched online on this website.
Thanks to this information, economic operators using statements on origin are able to verify the validity of the registrations of the registered exporters who submit those statements on origin.
Through his registration data (specifically, box 6 of Annex 22-06 of the UCC IA), a registered exporter may decide if he wants all his registration data to be published or not. If he doesn't consent for the publication of all his registered data, an anonymous subset of the registered data (the REX number of the registered exporter, the date from which the registration is valid and the date of revocation if applicable) are anyway published to allow operators to verify the validity of those registrations as well.
In the EU, the REX system is applied by the economic operators in the following cases:
The Agreement between the EU and Singapore which entered into force very recently (November 2019) provides that the origin of goods originating in the EU is declared by approved exporters and not by registered exporters. This is because the Agreement between the EU and Singapore was concluded many years ago, before that the REX system was existing.
In the context of the EU-UK TCA, will also be registered re-consignors in Northern Ireland re-consigning goods to the EU and replacing with replacement statements on origin proofs of origin issued or made out in third countries with which the EU has a preferential trade arrangement.
Since 1 January 2020, the REX system is applied by the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) in the context of the Overseas Association Decision (“OAD”), Council Decision 2013/755/EU, as amended by Council Decision (EU) 2019/2196.
The OAD does not provide for a transition period for the application of the REX system by the OCTs. Therefore, as from 1 January 2020, tariff preference will be granted at import in the EU on products originating in OCTs only on presentation of statements on origin made out by registered exporters. Certificates of origin EUR.1 or origin declarations made out by approved exporters are no longer admissible in the EU.
To effectively apply the REX system, an OCT has to satisfy two prerequisites:
Norway, Switzerland and Turkey have in their GSP scheme rules similar to the ones of the GSP scheme of the EU. Therefore, the REX system is also applicable in the GSP schemes of those 3 countries. In particular, the REX system is applied:
The table below shows when an OCT satisfies the 2 pre-requisites for the application of the REX system.
Overseas countries and territories (OCT'S) | Effective application date of the REX system (*) |
Aruba (AW) | 01/01/2020 |
Bonaire, Saba, Sint Eustatius (BQ) | 30/01/2020 |
Curaçao (CW) | 01/01/2020 |
French Polynesia (PF) | 01/01/2020 |
French Southern and Antarctic Territories (TF) | 15/07/2020 |
Greenland (GL) | 01/01/2020 |
New Caledonia and Dependencies (NC) | 01/01/2020 |
Saint Barthelemy (BL) | REX system not yet applied |
Sint Maarten (SX) | 07/12/2020 |
St Pierre and Miquelon (PM) | 01/01/2020 |
Wallis and Futuna Islands (WF) | REX system not yet applied |
(Last update on 01/01/2021)
The REX system applies since 1 January 2017 in the GSP (Standard GSP, GSP+ and EBA). It progressively replaces the former system of origin certification based on certificates of origin Form A issued by governmental authorities and on invoice declarations made out under certain conditions by economic operators.
GSP beneficiary countries use the system made available by the European Commission and do not have to develop themselves their IT system.
When regional cumulation is applied by beneficiary countries of the GSP, the origin of the goods exported from the beneficiary country supplying the materials is also declared by registered exporters by means of statements on origin.
Since 1 May 2016 and the entry into application of the Union Customs Code (UCC), the rules of the REX system in the context of the GSP are laid down in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2015/2447 (the UCC IA, for "Implementing Act").
All GSP beneficiary countries had the possibility until 30 June 2016 to notify the European Commission if they preferred to start the application of the REX system later, i.e. as from 1 January 2018 or as from 1 January 2019.
The dates of application of the REX system by all GSP beneficiary countries are presented below:
Angola, Burundi, Bhutan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Micronesia, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Liberia, Mali, Nauru, Nepal, Niue Island, Pakistan, Solomon Islands, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tomé & Principe, Chad, Togo, Tonga, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Yemen, Zambia.
Afghanistan, Armenia, Bolivia, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Niger, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania.
Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kyrgyz Republic, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mongolia, Nigeria, Paraguay, Philippines, Samoa, Senegal, Tajikistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam.
To effectively apply the REX system, a GSP beneficiary country has to satisfy two prerequisites:
There were 3 different dates for the application of the REX system: 1 January 2017, 1 January 2018 or 1 January 2019. The first set of beneficiary countries contains all GSP beneficiary countries which did not notify a postponement of the application of the REX system or which directly confirmed they wanted to start applying the REX system from 2017. The second and third sets of beneficiary countries contains the countries according to the date they notified to the European Commission.
The global transition period is maximum 3.5 years.
When a beneficiary country starts the application of the REX system, the system of origin certification with certificates of origin Form A continues to apply in parallel during 12 months. In case those 12 months are insufficient for the beneficiary country to abandon the system with certificates of origin Form A, an extension of 6 additional months is possible.
Details of a one-year transition period for a GSP beneficiary country, illustrated for the application of the REX system starting on 1 January 2017
application of the REX system starting on 1 January 2017
For instance, for the first group of beneficiary countries (2017):
At the end of the transition period, consignments above 6 000 EUR will be entitled to GSP preferential tariff treatment in the EU only if accompanied by a statement on origin made out by a registered exporter.
The same applies for the second and third groups of beneficiary countries (2018 and 2019). Therefore, the ultimate deadline for the application of the REX system by all beneficiary countries is 30 June 2020.
Update June 2020:
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some beneficiary countries of the third group (2019) are facing serious difficulties to respect the 30 June 2020 time-limit for the application of the REX system. Those countries in which the REX system could not be deployed or used due to the pandemic may benefit from another extension of the transition period to 31 December 2020, as established by Regulation (EU) 2020/750. The beneficiary countries willing to benefit from that possibility should notify DG TAXUD (TAXUD-UNIT-E5@ec.europa.eu) in writing by 15 July 2020 at the latest, providing:
A beneficiary country which benefit from that extension of the transition period shall submit to DG TAXUD (TAXUD-UNIT-E5@ec.europa.eu) by 30 September 2020, a report detailing the progress made in implementing the work plan, and elaborating on any corrective measures necessary to meet the time-limit of 31 December 2020 for the application of the REX system.
GSP beneficiary countries |
Effective application date of the REX system (*) |
End of the transition period (**) |
Afghanistan |
29/03/2019 |
30/06/2019 |
Angola |
25/04/2018 |
30/06/2018 |
Armenia |
01/01/2018 |
30/06/2019 |
Bangladesh |
01/01/2019 |
31/12/2020 (**) |
Benin |
19/11/2019 |
31/12/2019 |
Bhutan |
01/01/2017 |
30/06/2018 |
Bolivia |
08/05/2018 |
30/06/2019 |
Burkina Faso |
20/05/2020 |
30/06/2020 |
Burundi |
27/07/2018 |
30/06/2018 |
Cambodia |
01/01/2019 |
30/06/2020 |
Capo Verde |
12/02/2020 |
30/06/2020 |
Central African republic |
REX system not yet applied |
31/12/2017 |
Chad |
REX system not yet applied |
30/06/2018 |
Comoros |
06/01/2017 |
30/06/2018 |
Congo |
28/03/2019 |
30/06/2018 |
Cook Islands |
17/04/2018 |
30/06/2018 |
Democratic Republic Congo |
REX system not yet applied |
30/06/2018 |
Djibouti |
REX system not yet applied |
31/12/2017 |
Equatorial Guinea |
REX system not yet applied |
30/06/2018 |
Eritrea |
19/06/2019 |
30/06/2019 |
Ethiopia |
07/03/2017 |
31/12/2017 |
Gambia |
08/10/2019 |
30/06/2019 |
Guinea |
18/05/2019 |
30/06/2019 |
Guinea Bissau |
05/12/2017 |
30/06/2018 |
Haiti |
08/12/2020 |
31/12/2020 (**) |
India |
01/01/2017 |
30/06/2018 |
Indonesia |
20/11/2019 |
31/12/2020 (**) |
Kenya |
01/01/2017 |
31/12/2017 |
Kiribati |
04/04/2018 |
30/06/2018 |
Kyrgyzstan |
12/02/2019 |
30/06/2020 |
Laos |
01/01/2017 |
31/12/2017 |
Lesotho |
17/09/2019 |
30/06/2020 |
Liberia |
01/10/2019 |
31/12/2017 |
Madagascar |
25/02/2020 |
31/12/2020 (**) |
Malawi |
01/01/2018 |
31/12/2018 |
Mali |
22/06/2018 |
30/06/2018 |
Mauritania |
21/01/2020 |
30/06/2020 |
Micronesia |
09/02/2021 |
31/12/2017 |
Mongolia |
24/12/2019 |
30/06/2020 |
Mozambique |
28/12/2018 |
30/06/2019 |
Myanmar |
01/01/2018 |
31/12/2018 |
Nauru |
REX system not yet applied |
31/12/2017 |
Nepal |
01/01/2017 |
30/06/2018 |
Niger |
16/01/2020 |
30/06/2019 |
Nigeria |
21/03/2019 |
31/12/2019 |
Niue Island |
28/06/2017 |
31/12/2017 |
Pakistan |
06/03/2017 |
31/12/2017 |
Philippines |
28/05/2019 |
31/12/2020 (**) |
Rwanda |
07/03/2018 |
31/12/2018 |
Samoa |
REX system not yet applied |
31/12/2019 |
Sao Tomé & Principe |
29/06/2018 |
30/06/2018 |
Senegal |
01/01/2019 |
31/12/2020 (**) |
Sierra Leone |
16/08/2018 |
31/12/2017 |
Solomon Islands |
20/09/2017 |
30/06/2018 |
Somalia |
REX system not yet applied |
31/12/2017 |
South Sudan |
REX system not yet applied |
31/12/2017 |
Sri Lanka |
01/01/2018 |
30/06/2019 |
Sudan |
21/01/2020 |
30/06/2019 |
Syria |
REX system not yet applied |
31/12/2018 |
Tajikistan |
26/10/2020 |
31/12/2020 (**) |
Tanzania |
14/06/2018 |
31/12/2018 |
Timor Leste |
06/08/2020 |
30/06/2018 |
Togo |
27/07/2018 |
30/06/2018 |
Tonga |
REX system not yet applied |
30/06/2018 |
Tuvalu |
03/10/2018 |
31/12/2017 |
Uganda |
01/01/2019 |
31/12/2019 |
Uzbekistan |
01/01/2019 |
30/06/2020 |
Vanuatu |
01/01/2019 |
31/12/2019 |
Vietnam |
01/01/2019 |
31/12/2020 (**) |
Yemen |
09/06/2018 |
30/06/2018 |
Zambia |
01/01/2017 |
30/06/2018 |
(Last update on 12/02/2021)
(*) the "effective application date of the REX system" is the date when the beneficiary country has communicated to the European Commission all the information necessary to fulfil the 2 pre-requisites for the application of the REX system.
(**) including the extension of transition period due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The rules for determining the origin of goods in the GSP scheme of the EU remain unchanged with the application of the REX system. Only the method to certify the origin of goods is changed.
To be entitled to make out a statement on origin, an economic operator needs to be registered in the REX system and to have a valid registration, i.e. a registration which is not revoked. It is however allowed that unregistered exporters make out statements on origin for consignments of originating goods having a value which is below 6 000 EUR.
A statement on origin is a declaration of origin added by the registered exporter on an invoice, a delivery note, a packing list, or any other commercial document allowing to identify the goods and the exporter. The text of the statement on origin is laid down in Annex 22-07 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2447. For the rules concerning the statement on origin, please refer mainly to Article 92 and Article 93 of that regulation.