Last weekend the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) came in to force.
To claim preferential origin the exporter will need to produce a certificate of origin containing the information required in the trade agreement. There is no prescribed format for the layout of the certificate of origin. This certificate of origin does not need to be stamped by an Issuing Body and your certification stamp cannot be used on a certificate of origin produced by the exporter.
If an exporter wants their Certificate of Origin stamping then it should be treated as an “Other Document” and the Issuing Body can simply verify the signature.
The relevant section of the trade agreement is as follows:
Article 3.20: Claims for Preferential Treatment
1. Except as otherwise provided in Annex 3-A (Other Arrangements), each
Party shall provide that an importer may make a claim for preferential tariff
treatment, based on a certification of origin completed by the exporter, producer
or importer.
The section on claiming preferential origin can be found here: https://www.mfat.govt.nz/assets/Trade-agreements/TPP/Text-ENGLISH/3.-Rules-of-Origin-and-Origin-Procedures-Chapter.pdf
The minimum data requirements for a CPTPP Certificate of Origin are as follows per the agreement:
ANNEX 3-B
MINIMUM DATA REQUIREMENTS
A certification of origin that is the basis for a claim for preferential tariff
treatment under this Agreement shall include the following elements:
1. Importer, Exporter or Producer Certification of Origin
Indicate whether the certifier is the exporter, producer or importer in
accordance with Article 3.20 (Claims for Preferential Treatment).
2. Certifier
Provide the certifier’s name, address (including country), telephone
number and e-mail address.
3. Exporter
Provide the exporter’s name, address (including country), e-mail address
and telephone number if different from the certifier. This information is not
required if the producer is completing the certification of origin and does not
know the identity of the exporter. The address of the exporter shall be the place
of export of the good in a TPP country.
4. Producer
Provide the producer’s name, address (including country), e-mail address
and telephone number, if different from the certifier or exporter or, if there are
multiple producers, state “Various” or provide a list of producers. A person that
wishes for this information to remain confidential may state “Available upon
request by the importing authorities”. The address of a producer shall be the place
of production of the good in a TPP country.
5. Importer
Provide, if known, the importer’s name, address, e-mail address and
telephone number. The address of the importer shall be in a TPP country.
6. Description and HS Tariff Classification of the Good
(a) Provide a description of the good and the HS tariff classification of
the good to the 6-digit level. The description should be sufficient
to relate it to the good covered by the certification; and
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(b) If the certification of origin covers a single shipment of a good,
indicate, if known, the invoice number related to the exportation.
7. Origin Criterion
Specify the rule of origin under which the good qualifies.
8. Blanket Period
Include the period if the certification covers multiple shipments of
identical goods for a specified period of up to 12 months as set out in Article
3.20.4 (Claims for Preferential Treatment).
9. Authorised Signature and Date
The certification must be signed and dated by the certifier and
accompanied by the following statement:
I certify that the goods described in this document qualify as
originating and the information contained in this document is true
and accurate. I assume responsibility for proving such
representations and agree to maintain and present upon request or
to make available during a verification visit, documentation
necessary to support this certification.
You can find a helpful guide and template document in our resource section here.
