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Certificates of Origin

A Certificate of Origin is a document required by foreign governments that validates the country of origin of where the product was manufactured. The Certificate of Origin must be signed by the exporter and then validated by a locally designated agency such as the Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce (TCNCC) in order to be acceptable and valid.

PLEASE NOTE: Some countries will accept goods without Certificates of Origin, but will charge higher tariffs, assess financial penalties, and/or delay goods at customs.

Sample Certificate of Origin

Certificate of Origin Example - Manhattan Chamber of Commerce | New York, NY

  1. THE UNDERSIGNED - Name of the individual completing and signing the certificate (see Block 13); may be the Exporter or Agent of the Exporter.
  2. FOR - The Company name and address of the Exporter (Distributor or Manufacturer) effecting the shipment of merchandise.
  3. SHIPPED ON - Name of the vessel, aircraft, rail, or trucking company. May also include vessel number and flag, flight number and flag, rail car number, and truck Pro number.
  4. DATE - The date the carrier left the port/terminal for the destination.
  5. CONSIGNED TO - The Consignee, as it appears on the Commercial Invoice; may be "To Order of Shipper," or "To Order of (Customer's) Bank, or to any other entity, on the Conditions of Sale and/or the letter of credit.
  6. MARKS AND NUMBERS - The marks recorded on each package, including Shipper's Company Name, Country of Origin (i.e. - Made in USA), Destination Port of Entry, and Customer's Company Name; may also include a Shipper's Control Number (i.e. - C/I No.) and the Customer's Import license Number. "Number" refers to the numbering of the packages in the shipment (i.e. - 1 of 30, 2 of 30, etc.).
  7. NO. OF PACKAGES - The total number of packages, cartons, boxes, skids, etc. per description line, including outer packaging, in kilograms.
  8. GROSS WEIGHT - Total weight of packages per description line, including outer packaging, in kilograms.
  9. NET WEIGHT - Total weight of all packages per description line, excluding outer packaging, but including inner packaging, in kilograms.
  10. DESCRIPTION - Full description of items being shipped, the type of containers, the gross weight per container, and the quantity and unit of measure of the merchandise. May also include cross references to Purchase Order or Commercial Invoice number.
  11. SWORN BEFORE - Notary Republic seal/signature, and date notarized.
  12. DATE - Date Certificate of Origin was prepared and signed.
  13. SIGNATURE - The signature of the owner, employee, or agent appearing in Block 1 above.
  14. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE - Name of local Chamber of Commerce (and State) certifying the origin of the merchandise.
  15. SECRETARY - Authorized signature of the local Chamber of Commerce Secretary and that organization's seal.

The TCNCC offers Certificates of Origin for goods made in the United States but not for goods NOT made in the United States.

Certificates may be signed by downloading the appropriate forms at the bottom of the page and by contacting the TCNCC office at 763-571-9781 or by sending an email to info@twincitiesnorth.org to schedule an appointment. Please bring the following documents with you when you come our office. Our address is:  1915 Hwy 36 West, Roseville, MN 55113

  1. Fill out the appropriate affidavit for either U.S. Originated Goods which is available for download at the bottom of this page. The affidavit needs to be notarized. The affidavit releases the Chamber from any liability with regards to the goods. It can be e-mailed or faxed to you. The Chamber also has a free notarization service for members. IMPORTANT: We keep your affidavit on file. Therefore, you will not need to bring a new affidavit for your second appointment as long as the country of the origin of the goods remains the same. For example, if you had provided an affidavit for U.S. originated goods at your previous appointment and you need another Certificate for U.S. made goods stamped, you will not need to bring a new affidavit.
  2. In addition to the signed affidavit you need to bring the corresponding Certificate of Origin filled out and signed by you. The forms are available for download below.
  3. Finally, you must provide documents that indicate that the goods are made in the country of origin stated on the affidavit and the Certificate of Origin.
  4. Please be aware that many countries require the Certificate of Origin form to be typed and not hand-written. You may verify this with the importing country.*
  5. Please call the office at 763-571-9781 for an appointment. We will stamp the certificate of origin by appointment only. Appointments are available Monday - Friday from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm. . If you have not scheduled an appointment, we will not be able to guarantee for your Certificate of Origin to be processed the same day.
  6. Pricing: Free for members in good standing of the Twin Cities North Chamber. Unfortunately, we do not sign for non members.