The Purpose of a Certificate of Origin

A certificate of origin certifies a shipment's country of origin.

A certificate of origin is a document that certifies a shipment's country of origin. It is required by certain countries in order to determine whether duties or tariffs should be assessed on the products being imported.

North American Free Trade Agreement Certificate of Origin

The purpose of the North American Free Trade Agreement certificate of origin is the certification of the origin of products that are made in the U.S. and that are being exported to Canada or Mexico. The use of the NAFTA certificate of origin gives the exporter the benefits guaranteed by NAFTA.

Mexican Certificate of Origin

A Mexican Certificate of Origin is used for foreign origin products entering Mexico from the U.S. If the products in question are textiles or footwear, then the Mexican Consulate must notarize the certificate of origin form. The purpose of the Mexican Certificate of Origin is to prevent Asian textiles and footwear from being dumped into Mexico via the U.S.

Considerations

Other countries for which special certificates of origin may be required are South Africa, Turkey and Japan. The purposes of each of these certificates of origin depends on the type of trade agreement (if any) between the country in question and the U.S.

References

• World Trade Center Denver: Certificate of Origin