The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a free trade agreement between Canada and 10 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.
CPTPP countries represent 500 million consumers and 13.5% of global GDP.
The CPTPP covers a wide range of goods and services, and its provisions aim to reduce or eliminate trade barriers and promote economic integration among member countries. The CPTPP eliminates tariffs and reduces barriers for 98% of exports to CPTPP member countries.
To obtain reduced import duty rates, importers must possess a Certificate of Origin at the time of goods release or when making a declaration. It should not be included in accounting documentation but must be available for presentation to the Canada Border Services Agency upon their request.
The Certificate of Origin can be issued by the producer of the goods (the person who engages in the production of a good), the importer, or the exporter. Preferably, it should be issued by the producer since they have the most accurate information about the goods. If the shipment value is under 3,300 CAD, a certification of origin is not required.
The CPTPP Certificate of Origin doesn’t have a prescribed format but must include a set of minimum data requirements or minimum data elements:
- Indication if importer, exporter, or producer certifies the origin.
- Certifier’s name, title, address (including country), telephone number, and email address.
- Exporter’s name, address (including country), email address, and telephone number of the exporter if different from the certifier. This information is not required if the producer is completing the certification of origin and is unaware of the exporter’s identity. The address of the exporter shall be the place of export of the good in a TPP country.
- Producer’s name, address (including country), email address, and telephone number if different from the certifier or exporter. If there are multiple producers, either state “Various” or provide a list of producers. If someone wishes to keep this information confidential, they can 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.
- Importer’s name, address, email address, and telephone number if known. The address of the importer shall be in a TPP country.
- Description, sufficient to relate it to the goods covered by the certification, HS Tariff classification of the goods to the 6-digit level, and the invoice number if certification of origin covers a single shipment of the goods.
- Origin criteria
- Blanket period of up to 12 months.
- Certifier’s authorized signature and date
- Certification 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.”
We have prepared a form of the Certificate of Origin that can be used, along with a more detailed explanation.