Guilin Customs officials inspect monk fruit at a plantation base. [Photo/Nanguo Morning Post]

A batch of monk fruit products, worth $160,000 and produced by a Guilin-based enterprise, recently enjoyed the "zero tariff" policy and was exported to Australia with an RCEP certificate of origin.

A staff member of the enterprise noted that the enterprise received guidance from relevant customs departments in acquiring the certificate of origin after the implementation of RCEP trade agreement. This zero tariff policy has saved the consumers in Australia more than 40,000 yuan ($5,822).

Guilin is the main cultivation area for monk fruit and the annual output value of monk fruit in Guilin accounts for more than 85 percent of China's total. Monk fruit-related products have been well-received in global markets and the products have been sold to countries such as Japan and the United States.

In 2022, Guilin exported a total of 1,606 metric tons of monk fruit and related products, worth 720 million yuan ($104.8 million), with a year-on-year increase of 85.4 percent.

Guilin Customs has been working with departments of the Guilin bureau of commerce and the Guilin bureau of agriculture and rural affairs to offer more guidance to local enterprises managing monk fruit businesses and plantations. Their goal is to improve production management and quality inspection within the industry.