历时8年谈判、涵盖15国的《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》（Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership，简称RCEP）终在2022年伊始正式生效。ALB与两位专家聊了聊在RCEP新背景下，中国企业及法律服务市场面临着怎样的新机遇。
RCEP的到来可谓给后疫时代全球经济复苏打下了一针强心剂。涵盖当前世界上人口最多、经贸规模最大、最具发展潜力的自由贸易区，同时也是继WTO协定后最为重要的区域经贸协定，RCEP对中国未来经济发展有着至关重要的意义。
在国浩律师（上海）事务所管理合伙人黄宁宁律师看来，RCEP无疑是中国经济进一步发展的“东风”。他表示：“RCEP的生效对中国来说，是坚定改革信心、扩大开放的重要支撑。”
“知识产权政策和合规是中国企业长期面临的问题，应成为企业（在RCEP下）关注的重点。在RCEP生效的新背景下，企业也需进一步关注跨境电商知识产权保护、海外知识产权纠纷应对和维权处理等问题。”
- 黄宁宁，国浩律师事务所
金杜律师事务所合伙人冯晓鹏律师对此表示赞同。他指出了RCEP在区域贸易及投资开放领域的里程碑意义，“RCEP的正式生效，意味着占全球约30%的经济体量将形成一个一体化大市场”。
彼得森国际经济研究所（Institute for International Economics）数据显示，到2030年，RCEP有望每年带动成员国出口净增加5190亿美元，国民收入净增加1860亿美元；中国GDP预计增加850 亿美元，在各成员国中增量最大。
“在推动我国三分之一对外贸易实现零关税的同时，RCEP的实施还会促进区域内贸易便利化和营商环境的提升，带动相应服务和投资开放，从而极大提高各签约方的福利水平及其之间的贸易规模。”冯晓鹏律师指出。
“在推动我国三分之一对外贸易实现零关税的同时，RCEP的实施还会促进区域内贸易便利化和营商环境的提升，带动相应服务和投资开放，从而极大提高各签约方的福利水平及其之间的贸易规模。”
- 冯晓鹏，金杜律师事务所
创新亮点
各成员国之间的良好互通与进一步强化的投资规则，成为了区域市场蓬勃发展的养料。而RCEP能够为各成员国带来不菲的收益，不仅倚赖于15国之间的通力合作，更得益于协定中所包含的多层面创新。
首先值得注意的是关税减免。RCEP协定各成员之间货物贸易关税减让以立即降至零关税、10年内降至零关税的承诺为主。作为RCEP的重要组成部分，关税减免将带来更低的进口成本及更多的出口机遇，将在一定程度上促进区域贸易投资的繁荣。
伴随跨境电商逐步成为亚洲区域经济上扬的新兴动力，RCEP的生效更为其提供了良好的发展环境和制度保障。
黄宁宁律师指出，“关税减免极大地刺激了跨境电商的活跃”。在商务部、发改委、工信部、央行、海关总署、国家市监总局于今年1月22日发布的《关于高质量实施《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》（RCEP）的指导意见》中，便包含了“鼓励企业用好成员国降税承诺……”从而进一步“扩大……出口”的内容。
在上述指导意见中，黄律师还观察到“推动跨境电子商务高质量发展，推进数字证书、电子签名的国际互认”等内容所带来的“贸易的标准化和数字化，以及沟通成本的降低”，这同样契合了跨境电商业务特点，对该领域发展形成助力。
冯晓鹏律师同样赞同这一观察。他告诉ALB，以此前对中国进口产品征收关税颇高的日本市场为例，“RCEP协定签署后，日本对中国产品的免关税比例将达到86%。其中，电机电器、核反应堆、锅炉、车辆及其零附件、医疗设备等行业中70%-80%的商品将在RCEP签署后立即实现零关税，而服装纺织、家具、塑料制品等行业几乎全部产品将在过渡期后实现零关税”，这无疑有利于跨境电商企业的发展，特别是一些重要产业领域的进一步开拓。
关税减免外，原产地规则的协调也是 RCEP 的主要成就之一，其中所包含的一大创新在于累积规则的应用。不同于多数自贸协定的双边原产地规则，RCEP采取的是全域累积方式，能够帮助企业减少经营的不确定性风险。
冯律师解释道：“这将有助于跨国公司更加灵活地进行产业布局，建立更精细更完善的产业链分工体系，降低最终产品的生产成本，不仅有助于扩大RCEP成员之间的贸易，还将极大地促进区域供应链、价值链的深度融合和发展。”
与此同时，RCEP的签署也将大大减少海外仓的建设阻碍，使得区域内各国资源及商品的流动更为频繁，技术、服务资本及人才的合作更加便利。对此，冯律师建议：“企业可以抓住机遇进行海外资本、人员投入，推进区域品牌化建设，高质量推进海外仓建设、丰富海外仓功能，对海外市场资源进行有效整合。”
然而，在进一步达成合作前，中国企业仍要落实部分前期工作。截至今年1月，我国已签署19个优惠贸易协定（安排），涉及26个国家和地区，对企业来说，只有符合原产地规则的产品才能享受到关税优惠。因此，冯律师提醒道：“企业需仔细研究各项原产地规则，事先了解和比较自身产品在不同协定下的关税减让幅度，从而优选降税幅度最大的协定。”
知识产权挑战
在享受RCEP带来的众多益处的同时，行业及企业间预期未来竞争加剧，也构成不小挑战。两位专家建议，企业需要做好充分准备，以应对激烈竞争。
由于跨境电商交易往往不受地域、国界限制，商品的几经流转可能会造成知识产权合法性相关问题。在黄宁宁律师看来，这是中国企业面临的挑战之一。
黄律师坦言，事实上，“知识产权政策和合规是中国企业长期面临的问题，应成为企业（在RCEP下）关注的重点”。对此他建议：“企业可聘请专业律师提供一揽子服务。在RCEP生效的新背景下，企业也需进一步关注跨境电商知识产权保护、海外知识产权纠纷应对和维权处理等问题。”
冯晓鹏律师也指出：“跨境电商的无界性和知识产权保护的地域性特征之间的矛盾，是很多跨境电商领域知识产权纠纷产生的根本原因。”
对比此前TRIPS等协议的要求，冯律师表示，RCEP的知识产权条款在兼顾了不同成员国情况的同时，也平衡了知识产权法律关系中不同主体的利益。此外冯律师指出，事实上，中国对知识产权保护的标准总体与RCEP 相似，且远高于 TRIPS 协议。
因此，面对知识产权纠纷时， 冯律师建议“中国企业应采取积极的预防和应对措施，第一时间寻求专业法律建议，尤其和能够提供一站式法律服务的中资国际律所建立良好的合作关系……中国所和客户拥有相同的语言和文化背景，能够共同有针对性地制定应对策略，以防止不合理、不必要的知识产权侵权投诉造成产品下架、诉讼或其他制裁措施，给企业带来重大经济损失”。
做好准备
面对客户可能增长的需求，中国律所已经抓紧准备。黄宁宁律师告诉ALB，国浩近期相关举措就包括与中国（海南）改革发展研究院所成立了海南中改国浩自贸港法律研究中心，“加强对自贸港法律、RCEP及TPCPP规则等的研究，以谋求促进中国企业在RCEP和自贸港制度下的叠加发展”。
他还指出，未来“中国可叠加21个自贸区发展政策，特别是海南自贸港对RCEP签约国中的东盟可建立最直接的联系，进一步推动现代服务业和制造业的发展”。
冯晓鹏律师则告诉ALB，目前在RCEP成员国中，金杜在中国、澳大利亚、日本、新加坡设有办公室，并在韩国、马来西亚、泰国、新西兰等10国设有云办公室，这可谓律所最切实的“硬件准备”。
此外，金杜还加强了和相关国家的横向合作，例如和新加坡政府机构、律所等展开研讨，积极探索为立足于东南亚市场的客户建言献策；新一年，律所也会强化研究，“为客户梳理有关关税协定和原产地规则，协助客户提高通关便利性和管理原产地安排”。
“可以预见的是，在未来的3到5年，金杜参与RCEP其他成员国相关联的业务将会迎来井喷式增长。”冯律师说。
STRONGER TOGETHER
After eight years of negotiation, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) finally came into force at the beginning of 2022. Lawyers feel it will bring new opportunities for Chinese enterprises as well as the legal services market.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade agreement between 15 Asia-Pacific countries, came into force earlier this year. Given that the member nations account for about 30 percent of the world's population and 30 percent of global GDP, the RCEP is easily the largest trade bloc in history.
Lawyers say that due to its growth potential, the RCEP will not only boost the post-pandemic recovery of the global economy, it is also critically significant to China's economic development. "RCEP provides important support for China to strengthen confidence in reform and further opening-up," says Henry Huang, managing partner of Grandall Law Firm’s Shanghai office.
- Henry Huang, Grandall Law Firm
Feng Xiaopeng, partner at King & Wood Mallesons (KWM), concurs: "The formal entry into force of RCEP means about 30 percent of the world's economic output will become one integrated market."
Data from the Peterson Institute for international Economics show that by 2030, the RCEP is expected to drive net export increase and national income growth of member states by $519 billion and $186 billion respectively, with the biggest expected GDP increase of $85 billion going to China.
"While enabling one third of China's foreign trade to enjoy zero tariff, RCEP will also facilitate trade and improve business environment among members and further open up corresponding services and investment, greatly improving the welfare level of each signatory and the trade volume between them," says Feng.
- Feng Xiaopeng, King & Wood Mallesons
SHOWCASING INNOVATION
Stronger interaction between signatories, and enhanced investment rules are expected to lead to the vigorous development of regional markets. But lawyers say one of the hallmarks of the RCEP is the innovative approaches it takes.
The first example is tariff reduction. Tariff reduction of trade in goods among RCEP members is mainly based on the commitment to achieve zero tariff immediately, or within ten years. An important part of RCEP, tariff reduction will bring about lower import costs and more export opportunities.
RCEP has created a good development environment and institutional guarantee for cross-border e-commerce, which is gradually becoming an emerging driver for economic growth in Asia.
According to Huang, tariff relief has greatly stimulated cross-border e-commerce activities. The Guiding Opinions on Quality Implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, issued by the MOFCOM and the SAMR on Jan. 22 this year, "encourage enterprises to make good use of the tax reduction commitments of member states [to further] expand exports."
Huang adds that the Guiding Opinions emphasise "standardization and digitization of trade and reduction of communication costs" brought about by "promoting high-quality development of cross-border e-commerce and the international mutual recognition of digital certificates and e-signatures," which also conforms to the characteristics of cross-border e-commerce and contributes to development in this field.
Feng agrees. For example, Japan previously imposed high tariffs on Chinese imports. "Post-RCEP, Japan will give zero tariff to 86 percent of Chinese imports. Specifically, 70 to 80 percent of products in industries such as motors and appliances, nuclear reactors, boilers, vehicles and accessories, and medical devices will enjoy zero tariff immediately, while almost all products in industries such as garment and textile, furniture and plastics will enjoy zero tariff after the transition period," he says, adding that this undoubtedly benefits cross-border e-commerce enterprises, especially further development of some important industrial fields.
Coordination of rules of origin is another key achievement of the RCEP. Unlike the bilateral rules of origin in most free trade agreements, RCEP adopts a regional cumulative approach, which helps enterprises reduce operational uncertainty.
"This will help multinationals design a more flexible industrial layout, establish a more refined industrial chain division system and lower the production costs of end products. It will not only help expand trade among RCEP members, but also greatly promote deep integration and development of regional supply chain and value chain," Feng explains.
Meanwhile, the signing of RCEP will also greatly reduce obstacles to the construction of warehouses overseas, smoothening the movement of resources and commodities of countries in the region and facilitating the cooperation of technology, service capital and talents. Feng advises that "enterprises can seize this opportunity to make capital or human resources investment overseas, promote regional brand building, construct high-quality warehouses overseas and offer more functions for such warehouses, and effectively integrate overseas market resources."
However, before reaching further cooperation, Chinese enterprises need to complete some preliminary work. As of this January, China has also signed 19 preferential trade agreements (arrangements), involving 26 countries and regions. Feng reminds that "enterprises must carefully study various rules of origin, and understand and compare the tariff concessions their products are eligible for under different agreements in advance, so as to select the agreements with the largest tariff reduction."
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CHALLENGES
Despite all the benefits, the expected intensification of competition among industries and enterprises is no small challenge. Both experts suggest enterprises be fully prepared for fierce competition.
As cross-border e-commerce is often not limited by regional and national boundaries, the circulation of goods may cause issues concerning intellectual property (IP). Huang believes this to be one of the challenges faced by Chinese enterprises.
In fact, "IP policy and compliance are long-term problems faced by Chinese enterprises and should become their focus (under RCEP)," says Huang. In this regard, he suggests that "enterprises can engage lawyers to provide a full suite of services. With RCEP coming into force, enterprises also need to pay more attention to protecting IPs in cross-border e-commerce, responding to overseas IP disputes and safeguarding their rights."
Feng also points out "the contradiction between the boundlessness of cross-border e-commerce and the territorial characteristics of IP protection as the root cause of many IP disputes in cross-border e-commerce."
Compared with TRIPs and other agreements, Feng believes that RCEP's IP provisions not only take into account the situations of different member states but also balance the interests of different parties in the IP legal relationship. In fact, China's IP protection standards are generally similar to those under RCEP, and much higher than TRIPS, adds Feng.
Therefore, when IP disputes arise, "Chinese enterprises should take active prevention and response measures, immediately seek professional legal advice, and establish good cooperation with Chinese firms that can provide one-stop legal services... Chinese firms share the same language and culture with clients, and can jointly develop targeted response strategies to prevent unreasonable and unnecessary IP infringement complaints from causing products to be removed, or litigation or other sanctions, resulting in significant economic losses," suggests Feng.
LAW FIRMS GETTING PREPARED
Chinese firms have stepped up preparation in anticipation of possible increased demand from clients. Huang tells ALB that Grandall's recent initiatives included partnering the China (Hainan) Institute of Reform and Development Research (CIRD) to establish the Hainan CIRD-Grandall Free Trade Port Legal Research Center to "step up research of free trade port laws, RCEP and TPCPP rules, so as to promote the comprehensive development of Chinese enterprises under RCEP and the free trade port system."
In the future, "China may combine the development policies of 21 free trade zones, especially the Hainan free trade port which can establish the most direct contact with ASEAN among RCEP signatories, to further develop the modern service industry and the manufacturing industry," adds Huang.
Feng shares that at present, of the RCEP member states, KWM has physical presence in China, Australia, Japan and Singapore, and cloud offices in ten countries including South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and New Zealand. These are the firm's most practical "hardware preparation."
KWM has also enhanced cooperation with relevant countries, such as by holding workshops with Singapore government agencies and law firms to actively provide suggestions for clients in Southeast Asia. The firm will step up research in the new year to "sort out tariff agreements and rules of origin for clients and help them improve customs clearance and arrangements for rules of origin management".
"In the next three to five years, our participation in business related to other RCEP Members is expected to grow exponentially," says Feng.