Certificate of Australian Origin

What is a Certificate of Origin?

A Certificate of Australian Origin is documentary evidence that the goods are originating from Australia. Many customs measures relating to goods being imported into a country, in particular those relating to tariff & public health, depend for their administration on the origin of the goods.

The increasing number and complexity of the Free Trade Agreements (FTA's) has emphasised the importance of correctly identifying the origin of imports. That's why exporters need to obtain Certificates of Origin and Certified Declarations of Origin for each shipment.

Why do I need a Certificate of Australian Origin?

A Certificate of Australian Origin is required:

  • To export certain goods from Australia
  • For customs clearance at the port of destination
  • As stipulated within the letter of credit (L/C)
  • Evidence of the goods origin when negotiating a sales contract

The certificates are used to clear your goods through customs at the destination country. Certificates of Origin can also be requested by the overseas buyer or the business receiving your goods. In some instances, the company receiving the goods will require a Certificate of Origin before authorising their bank to issue a letter of credit and payment.

You may find that on occasions, evidence that the goods originated from Australia can be requested from the potential buyer when negotiating the sales contract with you.

In accordance with some free trade agreements (FTA's), preferential Certificates of Origin are required by the importer to qualify for preferential tariff rates under the FTA. For example, under the provisions of China- Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA), the ChAFTA Certificate of Origin is required and is available from Business Chamber Queensland.

What is a Preferential Certificate of Origin?

The Preferential Certificate of Origin (COO) is a documentation requirement of a number of Free Trade Agreements (FTA's) Australia has in place with other countries.

The Preferential Certificate of Origin is evidence that the goods are originating from the territory of one or more parties of the particular FTA. For example, goods wholly obtained in Australia to be exported to Thailand – this is an applicable scenario under TAFTA & AANZFTA as Thailand is part of both FTA's.

The Preferential Certificate of Origin provides the overseas buyer with the strategic advantage of paying preferential duty rates. Translated into benefits, for you as an exporter that means that if a company from overseas imports a product from Australia in terms of customs duties payable, it will be cheaper than importing a similar product from another country that is not part of a free trade agreement. This is a great strategic advantage for exporters when negotiating export contracts.

What are the different types of Preferential Certificates of Origin?

At this stage, six Australian Free Trade Agreements require documentary evidence such as a Certificate of Origin.

  1. Thailand – Australia Free Trade Agreement Certificate of Origin (TAFTA)
  2. ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement Certificate of Origin (AANZFTA)- First Protocol
  3. Australia- Chile Free Trade Agreement Certificate of Origin (CAFTA)
  4. ACCI Australia-Korea Free Trade Agreement Certificate of Origin – (KAFTA)
  5. ACCI Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement Certificate of Origin – (JAEPA)
  6. ACCI China- Australia Free Trade Agreement Certificate of Origin ( ChAFTA)

A separate, valid Certificate of Origin or alternative documentary evidence in some instances is required for each shipment of goods attracting.

How do I obtain a Certificate of Origin?

Step 1: Complete the Exporter Information C04 Form to register your business with us. You have to complete the registration just once.
Step 2: E-mail your completed C04 form to Business Chamber Queensland International Trade Services to [email protected]

Step 3: Once the completed C04 form is received, it will be processed on the same day and you can start submitting your Certificates of Origin for processing. 

Step 4: Submit your Certificate of Australian Origin through one of the below options

We may request supporting evidence.

Step 5: You will need to forward the original (printed on A4 white paper, in colour, double sided) hard copy of the Certificate of Australian Origin to your importer.

We're here to help

Should you require any assistance with the above process, please give us a call on 07 3192 0150 or send us an email to [email protected]

Our Business Chamber Queensland Export Documentation Team is here to help.

Have you thought about becoming a member with Business Chamber Queensland International? Depending on your level of membership, our members receive:

  • Up to a 45% discount on their export documentation
  • Access to our Export Hotline service that is staffed with experienced trade advisors
  • Online Free Trade Agreement training modules
  • Access to HR benefits, including our Employer Assistance Hotline and a HR Health Check
  • A listing on our Members Directory, invitations to our Business Chamber Queensland events & webinars plus more!

 

International Membership

From $419 Annually (ex GST)



Acknowledgement of Country

Business Chamber Queensland respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners and custodians of the lands from across Queensland and the Torres Strait. We acknowledge the Jagera and Turrbal people as the Traditional Custodians of Meanjin (Brisbane), the lands where our office is located and the place we meet, work and learn. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.