A total of 510,800 certificates of origin were issued by Chinese authorities in August, data from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade showed.

Some 21,672 certificates of origin were issued by Chinese authorities under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade agreement, up 16.04 percent year-on-year.

The certificates are expected to reduce tariffs by $11 million for Chinese products imported to RCEP member countries, the council said.

Certificates of origin are documents widely used in international trade transactions. They state that the products listed have met sufficient criteria to be considered as originating in a particular country. The issuance of these certificates is widely regarded as a barometer of foreign trade.