RCEP vs CPTPP vs ATIGA: which FTA saves the most?
By Yasmin Karim, Founder of XportStack · 16 May 2026 · 11 min read
Same shipment, three or four FTAs available, three or four different forms to fill out.
That is the everyday reality for F&B exporters in Asia-Pacific.
If you ship from Malaysia to Japan, you can claim under RCEP, ATIGA-plus-AJCEP, the bilateral MJEPA, or CPTPP. Four agreements. Four different sets of Rules of Origin. Four different Certificate of Origin forms.
Most founders pick one because someone told them to, or because their chamber of commerce only processes one form. They never compare.
Sometimes the one they pick is the right one. Often, it is not.
This post is how to compare.
What this post covers
- What RCEP, CPTPP, and ATIGA actually are (in plain words)
- Why a single shipment often qualifies for two, three, or four FTAs at once
- The four things to compare when picking between them
- A worked example: Obar Inc shipping Malaysia to Japan with four options
- A second example: Obar shipping Singapore to Canada with only one option
You can finish this in 7 minutes. By the end, you will know how to pick the right FTA for every shipment, not just the one your chamber of commerce defaults to.
The three big FTAs, in plain words
ATIGA — ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement
Member countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam (the 10 ASEAN members).
In force since: 2010 for the ASEAN-6 (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand). Later for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam.
F&B duty rate: 0% on virtually every HS chapter 01 to 21 line. Most non-alcoholic beverages in chapter 22 are also 0%. Alcohol is usually excluded.
CoO form: Form D.
Why founders use it: simple. One agreement, one form, applies to all intra-ASEAN trade. Most chambers of commerce in ASEAN process Form D in under a week.
RCEP — Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Member countries: the 10 ASEAN members PLUS Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand. 15 countries total.
In force since: January 2022 (recent).
F&B duty rate: depends on the HS code, the origin, and the destination. RCEP uses a staged tariff schedule that phases duty down over 5 to 20 years. Some F&B codes are already at 0%. Others are still at 5 to 10% in 2026, phasing to 0% by 2030 to 2042.
CoO form: Form RCEP.
Why founders use it: extends the ASEAN trade bloc to Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand. One agreement covers 15 countries.
Catch: RCEP is still phasing in (it started in 2022). The rate under RCEP for your specific HS code can be HIGHER than the rate under an older bilateral EPA between the same two countries. Bilateral EPAs signed in the 2000s have already reached full tariff elimination on most F&B. RCEP for the same product line may still be in its staging period. The bilateral is often the safer bet for sensitive products until RCEP fully ratchets down. Always check both.
CPTPP — Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership
Member countries: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam. UK joined in 2024. 12 members.
In force since: December 2018 for the first six countries to ratify (AU, CA, JP, MX, NZ, SG).
F&B duty rate: 0% on most F&B at full staging. Some codes still in the staging period through 2030.
CoO form: No central form. CPTPP allows exporter self-certification — you write a Declaration of Origin yourself on the commercial invoice or a separate certification form. No chamber of commerce involvement.
Why founders use it: extends preferential access to the Americas (Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru) which no other ASEAN-centred FTA covers. Self-certification is also faster than going through a chamber.
Catch: Rules of Origin under CPTPP are stricter for some products than under ATIGA or bilateral EPAs. Verify you can meet them before assuming you qualify.
Why one shipment often qualifies for multiple FTAs
Asia-Pacific is the most FTA-dense region in the world. Many origin-destination pairs have three or four agreements applying at once.
Examples for an ASEAN-based exporter:
- Malaysia to Japan: RCEP, MJEPA (bilateral Malaysia-Japan EPA), AJCEP (ASEAN-Japan), CPTPP. Four options.
- Indonesia to Japan: RCEP, IJEPA (bilateral Indonesia-Japan), AJCEP. Three options.
- Vietnam to Korea: RCEP, AKFTA (ASEAN-Korea), VKFTA (bilateral Vietnam-Korea). Three options.
- Singapore to Australia: RCEP, ATIGA-plus-AANZFTA, SAFTA (bilateral Singapore-Australia), CPTPP. Four options.
- Thailand to Australia: RCEP, AANZFTA, TAFTA (bilateral Thailand-Australia), CPTPP. Four options.
For each shipment, you pick ONE. You cannot stack preferential rates across multiple FTAs. The choice is which form to submit, which Rules of Origin to meet, and which rate to claim.
The four things to compare
For every origin-destination pair, compare the four things below before picking your FTA.
1. The preferential rate for your specific HS code.
Different FTAs apply different rates to the same HS code. RCEP, being newer and still phasing in, sometimes has a higher rate than an older bilateral EPA for the same product.
Run your origin, destination, and HS code through the FTA Eligibility Checker to see the rate under each applicable FTA, side by side. The tool shows the lowest rate at the top.
2. The Rules of Origin (RoO).
Each FTA has its own RoO. Some require Regional Value Content of 40%. Others require 45%. Some allow change in tariff classification at the 4-digit level. Others require 6-digit.
If you cannot meet the RoO for the FTA with the lowest rate, you must use another FTA whose RoO you can meet, even if the rate is slightly higher.
For most F&B products manufactured locally with local inputs, all four agreements (ATIGA, RCEP, bilateral EPAs, CPTPP) are usually achievable. The RoO becomes a barrier when you import a significant portion of inputs from outside the FTA bloc.
3. The Certificate of Origin process.
- ATIGA Form D: issued by your country's chamber of commerce or government trade agency. Typically 2 to 5 working days, depending on the chamber.
- Bilateral EPA forms (Form AK for ASEAN-Korea, Form E for ASEAN-China, etc.): same chamber-issued process. Typically similar timelines.
- Form RCEP: chamber-issued. Some chambers were still updating their processes through 2023 and 2024 since RCEP is newer; expect anywhere from a few days to a week.
- CPTPP: exporter self-certification. No chamber processing time. Fastest option.
For urgent shipments, CPTPP self-certification can save several days to a week, depending on your chamber's typical turnaround.
4. The cost analysis approval.
Before you can issue any CoO, your product needs an approved cost analysis or manufacturing cost statement for that specific FTA. Some countries let you reuse the same cost analysis across multiple FTAs if the RoO are similar. Others require a separate cost analysis per FTA.
In Malaysia, for example, the cost analysis is per FTA. You apply once per product per FTA, valid for two years. If you have an ATIGA cost analysis but not a RCEP one, going RCEP today means a 2 to 4 week delay while the new cost analysis is approved.
Compare every FTA that applies to your shipment, side by side. Try the free FTA Eligibility Checker →
Worked example: Obar Inc, Malaysia to Japan
Obar Inc, the fictional F&B exporter we use across XportStack demos, is shipping a container of Obar Classic Oat bars from Malaysia to a buyer in Japan.
HS code: 1904.10 (puffed or roasted cereal preparations). Japan's MFN duty on this line runs roughly 9% to 25% depending on the local sub-line classification. For this example, assume Obar's product attracts about 16% MFN.
Four FTAs apply.
| Agreement | Preferential rate (typical, 2026) | CoO Form | Rules of Origin (typical for HS 1904) | Typical issuance time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AJCEP (ASEAN-Japan EPA) | 0% | Form AJ | 40% RVC | A few days |
| MJEPA (Malaysia-Japan bilateral) | 0% | Form MJEPA | 40% RVC or change in tariff classification | A few days |
| RCEP | 0% for HS 1904.10 at most current staging | Form RCEP | 40% RVC or change in tariff classification at 4-digit level | Several days to a week |
| CPTPP | 0% for HS 1904.10 at most current staging | Self-certification | 40% RVC; some products require de minimis under 10% non-originating | Same day to one day |
In this case, all four agreements arrive at 0% duty. The choice comes down to:
- Fastest: CPTPP self-certification (1 day).
- Most familiar: MJEPA or AJCEP if you have an existing cost analysis with the Malaysian chamber.
- Easiest RoO for an oat bar with imported wheat or sugar: AJCEP and MJEPA, which generally allow change in tariff classification as an alternative to RVC. Useful if Obar imports its base flour from outside ASEAN.
In practice, an Obar export manager would probably default to MJEPA. It is well-established, has a simple form, and a familiar chamber process. They would only switch to CPTPP when the shipment is urgent, or to RCEP when shipping to a country where only RCEP applies.
Worked example: Obar Inc, Singapore to Canada
Obar opens a second facility in Singapore and ships oat bars to a Canadian buyer.
HS code: 1904.10. Canada's MFN duty on this line runs roughly 4% to 12.5% depending on the local sub-line. For this example, assume Obar's product attracts about 6% MFN.
Only ONE FTA applies: CPTPP.
ATIGA only covers intra-ASEAN. RCEP does not include Canada. AANZFTA does not include Canada. Singapore-Canada has no bilateral FTA outside CPTPP.
CPTPP preferential rate for HS 1904.10: 0%.
Obar's choice is simple — CPTPP, exporter self-certification, no chamber required. Obar's export manager prints a Declaration of Origin on the commercial invoice and ships.
The savings per shipment, assuming 6% MFN and a USD 30,000 shipment, is USD 1,800. Over 20 shipments a year, USD 36,000. The cost of the CPTPP self-certification is roughly the time it takes to print the declaration. Effectively free.
Practical guidance
Three habits that keep you picking the right FTA:
1. Build a one-page FTA matrix per product per market.
List every FTA that covers each origin-destination pair you ship. For each, write down the preferential rate today, the CoO form, and the RoO threshold. Update the matrix once a year as rates phase in.
When a new quote comes in, you do not re-research. You glance at the matrix.
2. Get cost analysis approved for the FTAs you are most likely to use.
If you ship to multiple ASEAN destinations, get an ATIGA cost analysis. If you ship to Japan, Korea, or China, get the relevant bilateral EPA cost analysis. If you ship to the Americas, get a CPTPP self-certification ready.
Cost analyses are valid for 2 years. The work is one-time per product per FTA. It pays back the first time you avoid a 2-week delay because you "did not have the right paperwork".
3. Default to bilateral or older regional FTAs when the rate is the same.
When two FTAs give the same 0% rate, pick the older, more established one. Reasons:
- Customs officers at destination are more familiar with older forms (Form D, Form AK, Form E, AJCEP Form)
- Chambers of commerce process them faster
- Less risk of paperwork being rejected for a procedural error
Use newer agreements (RCEP, CPTPP) when they give you a clearly better rate OR a clearly faster process (CPTPP self-certification), OR when no older FTA applies.
If you ship from outside Asia-Pacific
RCEP, CPTPP, and ATIGA are Asia-Pacific-anchored, but the same comparison framework applies to other regions. The agreement names change, the four-things-to-compare logic does not.
- North America: USMCA covers United States, Mexico, Canada. For US exporters shipping outside North America, there are also bilateral FTAs with Korea (KORUS), Australia (AUSFTA), Singapore (USSFTA), Chile, Peru, Colombia, Panama, plus CAFTA-DR with Central America. For US-EU trade, no FTA currently applies, so MFN rates govern.
- European Union: EU bilateral FTAs cover Japan (EU-Japan EPA), Korea (EU-Korea FTA), Singapore (EUSFTA), Vietnam (EVFTA), Canada (CETA), UK (TCA), Chile, Colombia, Peru, and many others. Many EU shipments to a given destination have only one applicable FTA, but the EU member exporter sometimes also has access to EU-bloc agreements that overlap with the destination's own regional bloc.
- United Kingdom: since Brexit, the UK has its own FTA portfolio. UK-Japan CEPA, UK-Australia FTA, UK-NZ FTA, UK-Singapore FTA, UK-Vietnam FTA, UK-Korea FTA, plus the UK-EU TCA. UK joined CPTPP in December 2024, so UK F&B exporters now have CPTPP access to the Asia-Pacific bloc too.
- Latin America: Mercosur, Pacific Alliance, plus bilateral agreements between most Latin American countries. EU-Mercosur Agreement was signed in 2024 and is in ratification.
- Africa: AfCFTA (African Continental Free Trade Area), in force from 2021 with phased implementation. Sub-regional agreements: COMESA, ECOWAS, SADC, EAC.
The four things to compare (rate, RoO, CoO process, existing cost analysis) apply identically. Run your shipment through the FTA Eligibility Checker to see every applicable agreement side by side, regardless of which region you ship from.
Recap
Four things to compare when picking between FTAs for the same shipment:
- The preferential rate for your HS code
- The Rules of Origin you can meet
- The CoO process and issuance time
- The cost analysis approval already in hand
Pick the FTA that gives the lowest rate AND a RoO you can meet AND a CoO process that fits your shipment timeline. When two FTAs tie on rate, pick the older more established one. When you need speed and CPTPP applies, use CPTPP self-certification.
The FTA Eligibility Checker handles step 1 for you. The other three are on you and your manufacturing partner.
Yasmin Karim is the founder of XportStack and Popsmalaya, a Malaysian freeze-at-home sorbet brand shipping to 35 countries across 6 continents over 8 years.
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