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Certificates of origin and origin statements

When you need a certificate of origin, who issues one, and how agreements like USMCA and the EU's REX system let exporters state origin on the invoice instead.

Updated · 9 official sources

A certificate of origin is a document, usually issued by a chamber of commerce in the exporting country, that states where goods were made; many trade agreements replace it with an origin statement or certification that the exporter, producer or importer writes on the invoice. Which one you need depends on the duty claim you're making and the agreement behind it.

Rules as of 30 October 2026.

What is the difference between preferential and non-preferential proof?#

Non-preferential proof states origin for ordinary purposes, such as a buyer's or bank's request or a quota, and it never lowers the duty. Preferential proof backs a claim for a trade agreement's lower rate, and it has to follow that agreement's own format and rules. A chamber's certificate on its own doesn't earn a preference.

Proof Who makes it What it does
Non-preferential certificate of origin A chamber of commerce in the exporting country States the origin; no duty benefit
Preferential certificate issued by an authority The exporting country's competent authority, under schemes that still use them Supports a preference claim
Origin statement or certification The exporter, producer or importer, under agreements that use self-certification Supports a preference claim, written on the invoice or another commercial document

The trend is toward self-certification. The European Commission describes its Registered Exporter system as gradually replacing certificates of origin, starting with its Generalised System of Preferences, and USMCA doesn't prescribe any certificate form.

Who issues certificates of origin?#

Chambers of commerce issue most non-preferential certificates of origin. The ICC's World Chambers Federation runs an accreditation chain of chambers that issue certificates to common international standards, and accredited chambers can mark their certificates with an international quality label. Customs and other authorities can check certificates through the ICC's verification platform.

Not every destination wants one. The European Commission says EU customs shouldn't ask for a non-preferential certificate issued in a third country as proof of origin, except under a few special import arrangements, such as access to certain quotas. The buyer, the bank financing the sale or the destination's own rules are the usual reasons to get one, so ask before you pay for it.

How does USMCA certification of origin work?#

A USMCA certification of origin can be completed by the importer, the exporter or the producer, in any format, on an invoice or other document, as long as it holds the data US rules list. The importer claims the preference by putting "S" or "S+" before the HTS subheading on the entry, and must hold the certification when claiming.

Check a certification against the data the US rules require before you rely on it:

It must be in English, French or Spanish, and it can't be written on an invoice issued in a country outside USMCA. Importers don't have to submit a certification for a non-commercial import or for originating goods worth $2,500 or less, unless CBP finds the import is part of a series meant to avoid the rule. Exporters and producers who certify goods shipped from the US keep their records for at least five years.

On a $2,000 box of qualifying Mexican-made cotton T-shirts, the claim is worth $330: the HTS general rate for 6109.10.00 is 16.5% and the USMCA rate is free. The US agreement guides cover USMCA in more depth.

How do EU origin statements and REX work?#

The EU's preference schemes increasingly rely on a statement on origin: a declaration the exporter writes on the invoice or another commercial document, in wording set out in EU customs rules. To make one for originating goods worth more than €6,000, the exporter must first register in REX, the Registered Exporter system, with its own country's authorities.

Below €6,000, any exporter can make the statement without registering. Registered exporters can be checked on the EU's REX website. Under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the statement on origin identifies EU exporters by their REX number and UK exporters by their EORI number, and a claim can also rest on the importer's own knowledge that the goods originate. UK guidance says importers keep the statement for four years from the date of import.

When do you need proof of origin?#

You need proof of origin when you claim a trade-agreement rate, when the buyer, bank or destination asks for a certificate, or when the goods fall under a measure tied to origin, such as a quota. For an ordinary sale without a preference claim, the country of origin stated on the commercial invoice and the declaration usually covers it.

Small shipments get some relief. Under the EU-UK agreement, UK guidance says goods worth under £1,000 in total can be imported into the UK without formal proof of origin. US rules don't require a USMCA certification to be submitted for originating goods worth $2,500 or less. In every case the goods still have to meet the agreement's rules. The commercial invoice generator fills each line with its HS code and origin, so the invoice and any statement agree.

Common questions#

Does a certificate of origin lower the duty?#

Only a preferential proof under a trade agreement can, and only for goods that meet that agreement's rules of origin. A chamber's non-preferential certificate states the origin but doesn't change the rate.

Who can sign a USMCA certification of origin?#

The importer, the exporter or the producer, or their authorized agent with knowledge of the facts. CBP can't require an exporter or producer to complete one.

Do I need to register in REX to export to the EU?#

Only to make statements on origin for shipments of originating goods worth more than €6,000 under EU schemes that use REX. Below that, any exporter can make the statement.

Sources#