Trade and customs
Certificate of origin
Definition
A document certifying the country where the goods were produced, needed for customs and for preferential duty under trade agreements.
Non preferential certificates of origin are usually issued by chambers of commerce. Preferential certificates under free trade agreements are issued by authorised agencies and let the importer claim a lower or zero duty if the product meets the agreement's rules of origin.
In India, exporters apply for most certificates of origin through the DGFT's online platform. Origin also matters for anti dumping duties, which often apply to goods from named countries only.
Related terms
- Commercial invoiceThe seller's final invoice for a shipment, used by customs to assess duty and by banks for payment.
- Packing listA document listing each package in a shipment with its contents, batch numbers, net and gross weights and dimensions.
- Bill of lading (BL)The document a sea carrier issues for cargo, serving as a receipt, evidence of the contract of carriage and, if negotiable, a document of title.
- Anti dumping dutyAn extra import duty on goods from specific countries or companies that are exported below their normal value and harm local industry.