A Certificate of Origin (CO) is an important international trade document attesting that goods in a particular export shipment are wholly obtained, produced, manufactured or processed in a particular country. COs also constitute a declaration by the exporter.

Millions of COs are issued every year, facilitating trade around the world. Since as early as 1898, Chambers of Commerce have been issuing non-preferential COs. The 1923 Geneva Convention and subsequent Kyoto Convention have seen governments formally recognize the important role Chambers play in this domain, deeming them competent authorities and credible trusted third-parties in the issuance of COs.

Virtually every country in the world considers the origin of imported goods when determining the duty that will be applied to the goods or, in some cases, whether the goods may be legally imported at all.

In addition, COs may be needed to comply with letters of credit, foreign customs requirements or a buyer's request.

Certain countries, primarily those that are non-signatories to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, require commercial documents to be legalized by the country’s US Embassy or Consulate. Depending on invoice value, embassy fees can run into thousands of dollars in some countries, so exporters must be aware of these requirements.

The most common countries requiring embassy or consulate legalization include: Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Bolivia, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Paraguay, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Qatar, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen.

Our chamber, in partnership with AWTCC, offers this service to system users. Each document is quoted on an individual basis prior to processing. Simply request legalization service with application.

The American World Trade Chamber of Commerce has committed to continue helping exporters through this time. They've seen an increased need in capacity to print at home alongside new need for retrospective certificates of origin. These together are putting pressure on chambers and exporters alike. Our chamber partnership program continues to aid in providing expert service to chamber members around the United States.

If you are already registered, getting logged in will be quick and easy. The AWTCC does same day certificate of origin processing meaning you can get what you need to clear customs today!

Log in to your account now to print your CO instantly.

Legalization can be a complicated process with ongoing requirements. We now have a full legalization page with all special requirements, costs, invoice values, and time-frames for Commercial, Corporate and Federally Documents. Looking to get your documents legalized, check out this AWTCC page for the necessary requirements.