Certificates of Origin

A Certificate of Origin (COO) is an important international trade document attesting that goods in a particular export shipment have been wholly obtained, produced, manufactured or processed in a particular country. It is also a declaration by the exporter. Virtually every country in the world considers the origin of imported goods when determining what duty will be assessed on the goods or, in some cases, whether the goods may be legally imported at all. The 1923 Geneva Convention named Chambers of Commerce the official body to issue, sign and stamp Certificates of Origin worldwide.

Policy and Process

The Wichita Regional Chamber implemented a new tool for processing certificates of origin, essCert, on July 30, 2018.

essCert is a world-wide service, recognized and accepted by nearly 200 countries. Over 28,000 exporters and freight forwarders use the service, including big name companies like Ford, Google, Coca-Cola, and DHL.

essCert is a cloud-based program, meaning you do not have to download and install software. To get started, visit the essCert website to register as a new user and upload the documents. The Chamber will review the certificate and electronically stamp and sign them. When it is approved, you can print out the stamped documents at your leisure.

This electronic process will provide your business with a range of unique benefits:

• Reduce the cost and time involved in making your Certificate of Origin applications
• Provide quicker turnaround times for applications and increase shipping efficiency
• Increase staff productivity and automate workflow
• Enhance the security of your document processing activities

Due to the Chamber staff time and expertise required to manage these certificates, our Certificates of Origin fee structure is as follows:

• Chamber Members: $15 per certificate 
• General Public: $30 per certificate

For questions related to the Certificates of Origin process, please review this FAQ page or contact Rita Ranney.