The Optimization Protocol of the Peru-China Free Trade Agreement is in effect

The Optimization Protocol of the Free Trade Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Peru and the Government of the People’s Republic of China entered into force on November 1, 2026, according to the official notice disseminated by the Official Gazette El Peruano. The instrument was ratified by Supreme Decree No. 035-2026-RE, dated July 24, 2026, and its full text is published in a Special Supplement of the same edition. The notice of entry into force appears in the Legal Norms booklet, under the International Agreements section.

The notice bears the official reference 2571106-1 and is inserted in the edition Year XLIII - No. 19628, corresponding to Tuesday, November 10, 2026. This is the formal communication through which the Peruvian State informs the entry into force of the Protocol, a standard procedure for treaties that already have internal ratification and which, from that moment, fully govern bilateral trade.

A brief notice and a supplement with the full text

The announcement published on page 99 of the edition is a short notice of validity, while the content of the Protocol is disseminated in the Special Supplement accompanying the newspaper. The official publication data are as follows:

• Bulletin: Official Gazette El Peruano, edition No. 19628.
• Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
• Section: International Agreements, within Legal Norms.
• Official notice reference: 2571106-1.
• Entry into force date: November 1, 2026.
• Ratification instrument: Supreme Decree No. 035-2026-RE, dated July 24, 2026.

Signing in Lima and ratification in 2026

According to the official notice, the Protocol was signed in the city of Lima on November 14, 2024. The Peruvian signature was provided by the then Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Úrsula Desilú León Chempén, while for the Chinese side, it was signed by the Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Wentao.

The regulatory sequence was completed with Supreme Decree No. 035-2026-RE, which ratified the instrument on July 24, 2026, and culminated with the effective entry into force on November 1, nearly two years after the signing in Lima.

The operational channel: customs and tariff preferences

The practical application of the treaty in the trade of goods is channeled through the customs procedures of the National Superintendency of Customs and Tax Administration (SUNAT). For the Peruvian-Chinese case, the specific procedure “Application of preferences under the Peru - China FTA” DESPA-PE.01.22 applies, approved by National Deputy Superintendency of Customs Resolution No. 108-2010/SUNAT/A and published on February 27, 2010.

That framework is under review: through Superintendency Resolution No. 000198-2026/SUNAT, dated October 12, 2026, SUNAT ordered the publication of the draft approving the single procedure DESPA-PE.01.39, intended to consolidate the application of tariff preferences from all of Peru’s current trade agreements, including the FTA with China, into a single instrument.

In parallel, the bilateral framework continues to operate regarding trade defense. The Dumping, Subsidies, and Elimination of Non-Tariff Trade Barriers Commission of Indecopi based the initiation of the procedure for alleged dumping practices in imports of ceramic toilets of Chinese origin on Article 77 of the Peru-China FTA, as ordered by Resolution No. 046-2025/CDB-INDECOPI and developed in Report No. 064-2026/CDB-INDECOPI.

What to observe from now on

For foreign trade operators, the key date is November 1, 2026: from then on, the Protocol forms part of the enforceable legal framework between both countries. Exporters and importers invoking preferential treatment must review the text published in the Special Supplement and the rules of origin and tariff reduction derived from it, as well as the customs regulations issued by SUNAT for its implementation.

The Optimization Protocol modifies the scheme of the trade agreement with Peru’s main Asian partner and, due to its scope, affects both the basket of imported Chinese goods and their final prices to the consumer, as well as the access conditions for Peruvian exportable offerings. The full publication in the Special Supplement of El Peruano on November 10, 2026, allows economic agents to know the exact text of the instrument that is already in force.

Source: Official Gazette El Peruano, Year XLIII - No. 19628, Tuesday, November 10, 2026, International Agreements section (Legal Norms), page 99 (official reference: 2571106-1).