Certificate of Origin (CO)

Certificate of Origin (CO)

A Certificate of Origin (CO) can be compared to a passport for goods used in international trade. Customs authorities generally place greater confidence in products accompanied by a CO verifying their country of origin than in products with unclear origins. Therefore, in international business transactions, buyers commonly require exporters to provide a Certificate of Origin together with the shipped goods.

Non-Preferential Certificate of Origin

A Non-Preferential Certificate of Origin is a document issued to exporters to certify that the goods originate from the country issuing the certificate. It may also be used as supporting documentation to comply with the import requirements of the destination country or the importer’s conditions. However, this type of certificate cannot be used to claim customs duty reductions or tariff privileges. This certificate is commonly referred to as an Ordinary Certificate of Origin.

Procedures for Applying for a Certificate of Origin

Certificates of Origin may be obtained from several organizations and agencies, including:

• Department of Foreign Trade

• Thai Chamber of Commerce

• Provincial Chambers of Commerce

• The Federation of Thai Industries

The Department of Foreign Trade is authorized to issue both ordinary Certificates of Origin and preferential Certificates of Origin that provide tariff privileges.

For Ordinary Certificates of Origin, which do not grant customs duty privileges, exporters may apply through the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Provincial Chambers of Commerce, or the Federation of Thai Industries.