Certificate of Origin: Requirements, Steps and MORE

Countries have trade agreements with each other, regarding certain products or certain industries. But to avoid deception or an attempt to evade the law, the products must have a document that proves their place of origin. In order that there is evidence that it comes from the country with which there are agreements, this important function is fulfilled by the Certificate of origin.

Knowing the origin of a certain item or product is very important in order to be a beneficiary of a commercial agreement. For example, there are countries that have agreements with certain goods from a country, which reduce tariffs and the costs of importing them.

Trade agreements benefit and integrate participating countries.

Requirements for the Certificate of Origin

The requirements to obtain this important document are very few and easy to obtain. In this section we will mention and describe them, but in the next section we will teach you step by step, the process you must go through to obtain the certificate.

Here is the list of requirements that you will need in the application process:

Compliance with each of these requirements is extremely necessary for the application process, because they complement each other. If you do not comply with any of them, it is possible that our request will take a little longer than it should and even that it will be rejected.

Keep reading and find out about the application process, learn how to use the requirements that we mention in this section.

Steps to Follow to Obtain the Certificate of Origin

The application process is very simple, it can be said that the most difficult part of the process is to meet each of the necessary requirements. Next, we present the list of steps that you must complete, to obtain the Certificate of origin successfully.

Those interested in making the request should bear in mind that they can also carry out the process virtually. Through the website mentioned in the previous section, however, it is currently under construction.

Therefore, applicants could have problems or difficulties. In this sense, it is recommended that they go in person once they have fully met the requirements, in order to avoid possible inconveniences.

Learn about the other functions of the document, in the next section we will talk about the main utilities that it can have.

What is it for?

This document has many features and benefits for the bearer. Throughout the article, mention is made of its benefits in tariff terms, however, you have many others, which are presented below:

In general, it is a document that may not be mandatory. But that ultimately facilitates trade in its different stages, which are: production, export or import, marketing and sale. For consumers, it can be an incentive to know where the products come from.

Therefore, it is not only useful in legal terms, but also in economic terms. Because, it can significantly increase the cash flow of producers. Find out who is the body in charge of issuing the document. Don’t miss it!

Who Issues It?

In Venezuela, the body in charge of issuing the certificate of origin, after compliance with the steps and requirements. It is the Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Trade and International Investment, in order to support national producers and exporters.

The document specifies the percentages of productive factors and labor, and it also identifies where these inputs come from. In order to be able to evaluate whether in fact, the document belongs to one country or another.

To assess that, the standard rule is that the product is produced more than fifty percent (50%) in one country. Not only that it is manufactured in the same, but that more than 50% of the inputs used are from a certain country.

This document is not only used in Venezuela, all the countries of the world are interested in knowing the origin of the products. But without a doubt, those who are most interested in the document are the producers who are the main beneficiaries of it.

In the following sections, we will answer the possible doubts that may be generated while you read the article. But also, we will talk about the document per se in the final section. Continue reading the article and learn a little more about the certificate.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Certificate of Origin

The first question that readers are asked is What is a tariff? The answer is very simple, tariffs are taxes on exports or imports, which are charged when the goods pass through border or customs points. Such as: airports, seaports or even land borders.

Trade agreements or agreements on tariffs, usually seek to reduce the taxes charged for the import or export of certain products. In order to benefit from these, you will certainly need the Certificate of Origin.

Another question that comes up a lot is How long is the certificate valid? This document has an indefinite permanence, as long as there are no fundamental changes in the production process. If there is any change, it must be notified to evaluate the origin of the product again.

How long does the application process take? The process usually takes a very short time, depending on the number of applications. The estimated time is hours, because it is issued the same day that the documents are consigned.

What is the Certificate of Origin?

In this section we will talk about the document, what it was created for and its implications. Trade agreements between countries are made to benefit certain industries in particular in the participating countries. However, similar industries in other countries seek to benefit.

But to avoid that and that in effect the industries that develop their activities in the countries of the agreement benefit. Said producers must obtain a certificate stating to the authorities of the other country that the article or product was created in an agreed place.

For example, if one country agrees with another that its meat imports will not pay tariffs. Meat producers from countries within the agreement will have an advantage over producers from countries that do not participate in the agreement.

The only way to verify that the meat comes from a certain territory, it is through the Certificate of origin. But the document not only certifies that it comes from a certain place, but also states that more than 50% of the good was produced within that country.

This measure seeks to prevent producers from other countries from circulating the merchandise through the country that has an agreement to benefit from it. That is, it forces them to produce more than half of the product in that territory in order to benefit from the good.

In times past there were many cases in which producers, circumvented these agreements and benefited greatly. Therefore, this protocol has managed to make trade agreements more effective, in effect protecting those who seek to benefit.

Remember that a good must be produced, more than 50% in a country for which its origin is considered