ICC WCF announces Certificate of Origin Accreditation Chain expansion

With their newly established status as accredited members of the CO Chain, the Bandar Abbas Chamber (Iran) Los Angeles Area Chamber (United States), 16 New Zealand Chambers, and 31 Irish Chambers now benefit from the use of ICC’s internationally-recognised CO label. This certified mark assures banks, businesses, customs administrations and traders that their COs have been issued according to the most stringent and harmonised certification standards.

Established by ICC’s WCF in 2012, today the CO Chain comprises 733 chambers across the world. Together, this network of chambers issues more than 8.5 million COs a year, with the official ICC WCF Label, adhering to the universal certification standards, ICC WCF International CO Guidelines, to issue trade documents in their respective countries.

Through the CO Chain, ICC WCF enables chamber leaders to promote the use of universal certification standards and processes to better serve the global trading community. Being a member instills confidence that chamber competency and credibility, as trusted third parties in the issuance of COs, remains up to date.

Approval of the new members was made during an ICC WCF International CO Council meeting, which was held virtually from 18-19 May 2020, with 47 CO experts from 32 countries. Chaired by Martin Van der Weide, Deputy Chair of the ICC WCF International Certificate of Origin Council and Policy Manager on Origin of the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce, the diverse group discussed the increase in usage of the CO verification website in 2020, which stemmed from an uptick in fake documentation to obscure the origin of counterfeit products due to the global health crisis. The site drew more than 176,000 users, compared with just 60,000 users in 2019. Now, more than ever, Customs and trade stakeholders are looking to mitigate fraud risks and ensure security, which the label and website provide.

The Council also discussed launching guidance around the use of dual systems, self-certification and preferential COs, in Free Trade Agreements, and the development of a new ICC trade service for chambers, which aims to give increased credibility to invoice declarations made by an exporter in the framework of self-certification.

The meeting concluded with an exchange of information among members, regarding trade regulation around the world. Roman Bruehwiler, Senior Adviser of the Swiss Federal Customs Administration in the Free Trade and Customs Agreements section, presented an update on the revision of the Kyoto Convention.

The new members of the ICC WCF International CO Accreditation Chain include:

Iran

Bandar Abbas Chamber of Commerce

Ireland

• Arklow & District Chamber
• Ballina Chamber
• Ballyhaunis Chamber
• Bray & District Chamber
• County Carlow Chamber
• County Tipperary Chamber
• Cobh & Harbour Chamber
• Cootehill Chamber
• Cork Chamber
• Drogheda & District Chamber
• Dublin Chamber
• Dundalk Chamber
• Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Chamber
• Ennis Chamber
• Enniscorthy Chamber
• Fingal Chamber
• Galway Chamber
• County Meath Chamber
• County Kildare Chamber
• Kilkenny Chamber
• Letterkenny Chamber
• Limerick Chamber
• Mullingar Chamber
• Sligo Chamber
• South Dublin Chamber
• Tralee Chamber
• Tullamore Chamber
• Waterford Chamber
• Westport Chamber
• County Wexford Chamber

New Zealand

• Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Canterbury Employer’s Chamber of Commerce
• Gisborne Chamber of Commerce
• Hawkes Bay Chamber of Commerce
• Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Manawatu Chamber of Commerce
• Marlborough Chamber of Commerce
• Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce
• Northland Chamber of Commerce
• Otago Chamber of Commerce
• Rotorua Chamber of Commerce
• South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce
• Southland Chamber of Commerce
• Taranaki Chamber of Commerce
• Tauranga Chamber of Commerce
• Waikato Chamber of Commerce
• Wellington Chamber of Commerce

United States

• Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

Learn more about Certificates of Origin.