Certificate of Origin

Certificate of Origin (C/O) is an official document issued by the government or authorized body of the exporting country, certifying that the goods originate from a specific country or region. It is an important basis for the importing country's customs to determine tariff treatment, implement trade controls (such as anti-dumping, quotas), and conduct trade statistics. Usage scenarios include: the importing country requires it to enjoy preferential tariffs (e.g., preferential C/O under free trade agreements), implement import quotas, or conduct anti-dumping investigations. Notes: Different FTAs correspond to different C/O formats (e.g., FORM A, FORM E, China-Australia Certificate, etc.), and the origin criteria, transport details, etc. must be filled in correctly; otherwise, the certificate may be rejected or preferential treatment may not be granted. Unlike commercial invoices and packing lists, a C/O has legal effect and usually must be issued by the CCPIT or customs. The difference from the Generalized System of Preferences Certificate of Origin (GSP Form A) is that the latter only applies to tariff preferences granted by developed countries to developing countries, while a general C/O applies to all trade.