Certificate of origin

A certificate of origin states the country where goods were produced. The importer presents it to customs, and in many cases it is what lets them pay lower duties under a free trade agreement.

Preferential and non-preferential origin

There are two main kinds:

Preferential: proves the goods meet the rules of origin of a trade agreement (for example between Central America, Mexico, the United States or the European Union) and qualifies them for reduced or zero duty.
Non-preferential: only states the country of origin, for statistics, labelling or trade measures. It does not reduce duties.

Who issues it

It depends on the agreement and the country. Sometimes a government authority or chamber of commerce issues it; in other cases the exporter, producer or importer makes a certification of origin with minimum data set by the agreement. Always confirm the format with your customer or customs broker before the first shipment.

Common mistakes

A wrong certificate of origin does not stop the cargo, but it can cost the customer the full duty:

Using another agreement’s format or an outdated version.
An HS tariff classification that differs from the commercial invoice.
Sending it after the importer has already cleared the goods, losing the preference.

How ContainerDocs helps

Make the certificate of origin a requirement only for customers whose destinations need it. ContainerDocs sends it together with the invoice and the bill of lading, with consistent file names per container.

General information. Requirements change by country, product and trade agreement; confirm them with your customer or customs broker.