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Trade Documentation

Certificate of Origin

Also known as: CO, COO

A certificate of origin is a document attesting to the country in which the goods were produced or manufactured, used to satisfy customs requirements, support claims for preferential tariff treatment under a trade agreement, or meet the terms of a letter of credit. Depending on the destination and purpose it may be a general certificate, or a specific preferential form tied to a particular agreement and subject to strict rules of origin. Because origin drives duty rates, quota eligibility, and admissibility, the certificate is often scrutinized closely, and a false or unsupported origin claim can lead to loss of preference, penalties, or seizure.

The JFS takeLicensed customs broker · Filer 82G

A certificate is evidence, not proof. Under most modern agreements the claim rests on the underlying origin analysis and the certificate merely asserts it — when CBP verifies, they ask for the bill of materials and the production records, not for the certificate again.

Where it matters for compliance

  • Preference claims must be supportable by records. The claim belongs to the importer, whoever prepared the certificate.
  • A false preference claim is a false statement on the entry.

Related terms

Country of OriginCountry of origin is the country in which a product was grown, produced, manufactured, or last substantially transformed, and it is a decisive factor in determining the duty rate, eligibility for preferential treatment, exposure to trade-remedy orders, quota limits, and marking requirements.Rules of OriginRules of origin are the legal criteria used to determine the economic nationality of a product for the purpose of applying tariffs, preferences, quotas, and trade-remedy measures.Preferential TariffA preferential tariff is a reduced or zero duty rate that one country grants to goods originating in another under a free trade agreement or a unilateral preference program, in place of the standard rate applied to imports generally.

Reviewed by a licensed customs broker. Definitions are general information, not legal or customs advice for a particular shipment. Duty rates, tariff programs and agency requirements change frequently.