What is a Certificate of Origin used for?

The Certificate of Origin document will be used by the importer’s freight forwarder, customs agent, or customs broker during the import customs clearance process. Customs authorities use this certificate as proof that the goods have been manufactured within the country of export which can reduce or eliminate the import duties to be paid on the goods. Some countries also require a Certificate of Origin for the export of certain goods and in some instances when stipulated in a letter of credit, the buyer will require a Certificate of Origin to authorize their bank to issue a letter of credit and payment.

How to create a Certificate of Origin

1. Open IncoDocs

   Open IncoDocs in your browser and navigate to the “Export Docs” section.

2. Choose the Certificate of Origin template

   Click on 'New document set' and select the Certificate of Origin template along with any other export documents you wish to create.

3. Fill out & customize your doc

   Fill out the document, customize template fields to your needs and add your company letterhead. To save time and prevent re-entry errors, enter key shipment data into the Master File to have it sync across all other documents in your set automatically.

4. Sign & seal

   Click on the signature box at the bottom of your document to create and place a digital signature then hit “Save & Quit”. On the document preview screen, click on the ‘More’ dropdown button and select “Add company seal” to place a digital stamp.

5. Download or share

   Download or share documents from IncoDocs in 1-click. Documents can be downloaded as PDF or CSV which can be imported into other systems without manual re-entry.

Create in IncoDocs

Your questions, answered.

How to obtain a Certificate of Origin from a Chamber of Commerce

Each country have their own set Chambers of Commerce that will specialize in certificate of origin documents.  For example, if you’ve shipped products from the USA to Canada, you can contact any local or state American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and submit your NAFTA certificate (now renegotiated as the USMCA) or declaration of origin template. Most Chambers still manually sign and stamp original documents, while others may offer an online digital certificate of origin solution.

Popular Chambers of Commerce around the world:

What information is included on a Certificate of Origin Document?

A Declaration Of Origin or Certificate of Origin form will include the below details: