REX – Registered Exporter system

What is REX?

A system allowing certification of the origin of goods, based on the self-certification principle. 

As an exporter, you are required to declare the origin of goods yourself by producing ‘statements on origin’ (or in some preferential agreements ‘origin declarations’). To be allowed to make out a statement on origin / an origin declaration, the exporter must be registered in a database by his national competent authorities, i.e. he must be a ‘registered exporter’. 

Once registered, the exporter will be assigned a registration number, the REX number.

Registering in REX 

To become a ‘registered exporter’, you must fill in an application and submit it to your national competent authorities.

• Registration in REX for EU exporters – using the REX Trader Portal
• Register in REX for non-EU exporters – using the pre-application (in GSP beneficiary countries, in EU’s overseas countries and territories, in partner countries of some preferential agreements).

When registering, you can opt not to have your registration data published in full. 

If so, only an anonymous subset of your registered data (your REX number, validity date or revocation date, if applicable) is published.

Checking registrations of exporters

Other parties (businesses, public bodies, …) can check the validity of an exporter’s registration indicated on a statement on origin / an origin declaration.

Verify the validity of an exporter’s registration.

Access to REX for customs authorities

The access to the REX system is limited to the competent authorities. As an exporter, you do not have access to the REX system.

EU countries – REX system for EU countries (via CCN)

Non-EU countries:

• REX system for GSP beneficiary countries and OCTs
• User access management module for the REX system (T-REX)

Use of the REX system in the EU

In the EU, the REX system must be used:

• In preferential agreements
  By EU companies exporting goods originating in the EU to non-EU countries with which the EU has a preferential agreement. 
  
  Currently (April 2025), this means the following agreements:
  • Canada-EU agreement (CETA)
  • Japan-EU agreement
  • Vietnam-EU agreement
  • Singapore-EU agreement
  • UK-EU agreement (EU-UK TCA). 
    Reconsignors in Northern Ireland must also be registered. These are exporters who reconsign goods to the EU and use statements on origin to replace proofs of origin that are issued or made out in non-EU countries.
  • Cote d’Ivoire-EU agreement
  • Ghana-EU agreement
  • Eastern and Southern Africa-EU interim agreement
  • New Zealand-EU agreement
     
• Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) 
  EU exporters under the GSP, for bilateral cumulation.
• Overseas Association Decision 
  EU exporters exporting goods originating in the EU to the EU’s overseas countries and territories (OCTs) under this decision. Either for purposes of bilateral cumulation of origin or to benefit from unilateral preferences granted by an OCT to the EU.
• Internally in the EU 
  EU reconsignors replacing proofs of origin with statements on origin.

Use of the REX system outside the EU

Outside the EU, the REX system must be used by exporters:

• Under the GSP (Standard GSP, GSP+ and Everything But Arms initiative)
  • GSP beneficiary countries (under the GSP schemes of the EU, Norway, Switzerland and Türkiye) for their exports to the EU that benefit from GSP tariff preference.
  • Norway, Switzerland and Türkiye for bilateral cumulation with GSP beneficiary countries (GSP schemes of the EU, Norway, Switzerland and Türkiye)
  • Norway and Switzerland, when replacing statements on origin towards the EU
• Under the Overseas Association Decision 
  By exporters in OCTs, under this decision
• Under preferential agreements with the EU
  Some countries have chosen to apply the REX system for declaring the origin of goods they export to the EU:
  • Côte d’Ivoire (Cote d’Ivoire-EU agreement)
  • Madagascar (Eastern and Southern Africa-EU interim agreement)
  • Zimbabwe (Eastern and Southern Africa-EU interim agreement)
  • Seychelles (Eastern and Southern Africa-EU interim agreement)
• San Marino and Andorra for their preferential exports to countries with which the EU also has preferential agreements, where the REX system applies (see the list of these agreements in the section above)

Useful links

Guidance

• REX system – rules
• REX system – quick guide
• REX system – online tutorial
• Guidance on the REX system

Data protection

• Privacy statement (data protection)