Certificates of Origin

International Certificate of Origin Council (ICOC) 

The ICC World Chambers Federation (WCF) International Certificate of Origin Council (ICOC) is a global forum of trade facilitation experts that advocates for chambers as issuing agents of Certificates of Origin (COs) around the world.  

All chamber members of ICC are welcome to join and contribute to the work of the ICOC.  

ICOC was set up to enhance and promote the unique position of chambers as issuing agents of Certificates of Origin through collaboration, which is achieved by implementing the following strategies: 

1. Coordinated engagement with international, regional and national governments and agencies through ICC structures. 
2. Establishment of an International Certificate of Origin Accreditation Chain, based on CO Guidelines, which sets international best practices for issuing procedures. 
3. Development of a series of international training programmes to enhance the level of chamber professionalism and competency in CO issuance. 
4. Assistance in the identification and use of advanced technologies in the delivery of COs and trade documents. 
5. Promotion of the liberalisation of issuance of Preferential CO to chambers by customs authorities. 
6. Advocacy for the recognition and acceptance of electronic CO by governments. 

International CO Accreditation Chain 

Chambers worldwide issue over 15 million COs each year. By getting accredited through the CO Accreditation Chain, chambers receive a distinct, internationally recognised, quality label which appears next to their chamber stamp on the CO form, confirming their status as credible and trusted third parties in the issuance of COs. 

Why should chambers join the CO Global Accreditation Chain? 

Digitalisation of CO

eCO Task Force 

ICC WCF has developed a set of online tools to keep pace with the rapid shift to e-business and improve efficiency in serving the business community. 

Many chambers around the world already issue Electronic Certificates of Origin (eCO), which are secure, efficient, cost-effective and transparent. However, more needs to be done to increase their acceptance.   

Recognising the long-term benefits of digitalisation, the eCO Task Force was created to enhance and raise the level of acceptability of eCO by stakeholders, as well as provide a forum to share expertise and experiences. The task force also provides assistance to chambers of commerce seeking support in the implementation of a digital system for the issuance of eCO.  

The following work of the eCO Task Force has been made available to date: 

• eCO Best Practices  
• Guidance on how to promote further acceptance

How can you verify the authenticity of COs online? 

The CO verification website is a secure platform enabling customs authorities to verify the authenticity of COs issued by participating accredited chambers through a unique CO number and accreditation code. It reinforces mutual trust by ensuring that COs are issued in accordance with international standards. 

Advantages of the platform: 

1. Accreditation that verifies adherence to internationally accepted standards.  
2. Platform security that is only available to chambers and their technical providers.  
3. Efficiency in allowing customs authorities and others involved in the CO verification process, to check authenticity online.  
4. Standardisation of data.  

The number of users of the ICC CO verification website has grown significantly in recent years and we’ve upgraded the platform to become a more modern, secure and innovative interface. The website now displays additional information, such as a description of the goods and the countries of origin and destination, and enables customs authorities to review the complete CO form, via a redirection to the issuing chamber’s system or its national verification website.

The option of scanning the QR code on the CO instead of manually inputting the information has also been added to the new website.