Mislabelled palm oil blends could hurt Malaysia’s reputation abroad, Maritime experts say

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 — Palm oil blended in Malaysia must carry accurate declarations of origin, as any inaccuracy could undermine the integrity and reputation of Malaysian products in international markets, a maritime expert said.

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Faculty of Maritime Studies senior lecturer Dr Madzli Harun said that while palm oil blending was permitted in the industry, the process did not automatically make the finished product Malaysian in origin.

He said a product’s country of origin was determined under the applicable Rules of Origin (RoO), which take into account processing methods, raw material content and criteria set out under the relevant trade regulations.

“If the original bill of lading (B/L) states that the refined, bleached and deodorised (RBD) palm olein originates from Indonesia, subsequently blending the product in Malaysia does not automatically make it a Malaysian-origin product.

“The B/L may be amended after a vessel leaves the port of loading and while it is sailing to the port of destination, but such amendments must be supported by reasonable grounds and valid documentation,” he said.

Madzli said blending alone might not satisfy RoO requirements or change a product’s country of origin, and operators must therefore show that the processing carried out meets the relevant criteria before the finished product can be declared Malaysian in origin.

“In the Asean context, the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement (Atiga) sets out rules of origin that include criteria such as Regional Value Content (RVC), change in tariff classification and cumulation.

“The use of raw materials from Asean member states may be taken into account when determining the origin of a finished product under certain circumstances, subject to the requirements of the agreement.

“Operators cannot simply blend oil from Indonesia with Malaysian oil and then label it ‘Made in Malaysia’. The finished product must meet the prescribed requirements before it can qualify for recognition as Malaysian-origin,” he said.

He said the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD), the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) and the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) should examine the relevant documentation within their respective jurisdictions to ensure blending activities and origin declarations complied with the applicable regulations.

“The documents that need to be examined include import and export records, certificates of origin, the quantity of imported oil, the volume of Malaysian oil used and records of the blending process.

“Traceability is also important to ensure that the origin of raw materials can be identified even after products from different countries have been blended.

“Even if the finished product qualifies for Malaysian-origin status under the applicable rules, records of raw materials imported from Indonesia must still be retained. Information on the origin of those materials must not simply be erased after blending,” he said.

He also warned that if a blended product was found to be contaminated, Malaysia could suffer reputational damage, face cargo rejections by buyers and potentially encounter legal action, depending on the circumstances and the parties responsible.

Madzli said false declarations could also lead to action under the relevant laws, including Section 133 of the Customs Act 1967, if the elements of an offence under the provision were established.

Meanwhile, maritime expert Prof Nazery Khalid said documentation for blended cargoes should accurately reflect the composition and characteristics of the resulting product to avoid doubts about its contents.

He said this was important because if a blended cargo was found to be contaminated and posed a health risk to consumers after export, Malaysia could suffer reputational damage if the product was perceived to have originated from the country.

“The recent food poisoning incident in Taiwan involving contaminated cooking oil should serve as a lesson.

“As one of the world’s major palm oil producers, Malaysia must ensure that its exported oil meets quality and integrity standards, while ensuring that its processing, documentation and shipment are carried out properly,” he said.

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吉隆坡，10月25日讯——一位海事专家表示，在马来西亚混合的棕榈油必须标明准确的原产地，因为任何不准确之处都可能损害马来西亚产品在国际市场上的完整性和声誉。

马来西亚登嘉楼大学（UMT）海事研究学院高级讲师马兹利·哈伦博士表示，虽然棕榈油行业允许混合，但这一过程并不能自动使成品成为马来西亚原产。

他表示，产品的原产国是根据适用的原产地规则 (RoO) 确定的，该规则考虑了加工方法、原材料含量以及相关贸易法规规定的标准。

“如果原始提单 (B/L) 上注明精炼、漂白和脱臭 (RBD) 棕榈油原产于印度尼西亚，那么随后在马来西亚混合该产品并不会自动使其成为马来西亚原产产品。

他说：“提单可以在船舶离开装货港后、驶往目的港途中进行修改，但此类修改必须有合理的理由和有效的单据支持。”

马兹利表示，仅靠混合可能无法满足原产地要求或改变产品的原产国，因此，经营者必须证明所进行的加工符合相关标准，成品才能被宣布为马来西亚原产。

“在东盟背景下，《东盟货物贸易协定》（Atiga）规定了原产地规则，其中包括区域价值含量（RVC）、关税分类变更和累积等标准。

“在某些情况下，根据协议的要求，在确定成品的原产地时，可以考虑使用来自东盟成员国的原材料。

他说：“经营者不能简单地将印尼产的油与马来西亚产的油混合，然后贴上‘马来西亚制造’的标签。成品必须符合规定的要求，才能获得马来西亚原产地的认证。”

他表示，马来西亚皇家海关总署（RMCD）、马来西亚棕榈油局（MPOB）和投资、贸易及工业部（MITI）应在其各自管辖范围内审查相关文件，以确保混合活动和原产地声明符合适用法规。

“需要审查的文件包括进出口记录、原产地证书、进口石油的数量、马来西亚石油的使用量以及混合过程的记录。

“可追溯性对于确保即使在将来自不同国家的产品混合后也能识别原材料的来源也至关重要。

他说：“即使成品符合相关规定，被认定为马来西亚原产地产品，也必须保留从印尼进口的原材料记录。混合后，这些原材料的来源信息绝不能被轻易抹去。”

他还警告说，如果发现混合产品受到污染，马来西亚可能会遭受声誉损害，面临买家拒收货物，并可能面临法律诉讼，具体取决于情况和责任方。

马兹利表示，如果符合相关法律规定的犯罪构成要件，虚假申报还可能导致根据相关法律采取行动，包括 1967 年《海关法》第 133 条。

与此同时，海事专家纳泽里·哈立德教授表示，混合货物的单据应准确反映最终产品的成分和特性，以避免对其内容产生疑问。

他表示，这一点很重要，因为如果混合货物在出口后被发现受到污染，并对消费者构成健康风险，如果该产品被认为产自马来西亚，马来西亚的声誉可能会受到损害。

“台湾最近发生的食用油污染导致的食物中毒事件应该给我们敲响警钟。”

他说：“作为世界主要棕榈油生产国之一，马来西亚必须确保其出口的棕榈油符合质量和诚信标准，同时确保其加工、文件编制和运输流程得到妥善执行。”

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