Certificates of origin are the essential export documents to receive the preferential tariff rate benefits under various free trade agreements (FTAs). Without these certificates, the customs at the importing port might not issue clearance to your consignments. If you are exporting from Australia to Thailand, you must prepare a TAFTA (Thailand-Australia Free Trade Agreement) certificate of origin. For this, you must know the following important things.

1. Do Your Goods Qualify?

Not every export good qualifies for reduced or eliminated tariffs. You must refer to the good assessment guides to know whether your goods are in the list prescribed by the TAFTA. There are situations when you might fail to identify the origin of your good and you may end up learning that the good actually has its origin from some other country and not Australia. Make sure you assess the origin before applying for a certificate of origin.

2. Which Chamber of Commerce to Contact?

Certificates of origin are prepared by the exporters (of their agents) and then submitted to one of the chambers of commerce for stamping. It is important to know which chamber of commerce you need to approach based on your business location for this purpose.

3. How to Submit the Certificate for Stamping?

There are a number of ways in which you may submit the certificate for stamping. Apart from submitting it by post or courier, you may also visit the chamber’s office personally to submit it. However, the fastest way is to submit it electronically using the right kind of software.

4. How to Prepare the Certificate?

Most of the chambers of commerce prescribe a typed certificate of origin. So, avoid submitting a handwritten certificate. Correct HS codes and origin criterion must be quoted on it.

5. How Many Copies of the Certificate Must be Prepared?

Depending on to how many parties you need to send the certificate to, you may decide the number of copies. It must be noted that each copy of the certificate needs to be original and not photocopied. Also, one copy would be retained by the chamber for its records.