For our customers who use Certificates of Origin...
Please note, we will be switching from pre-printed Certificate of Origin stationery to plain paper printing from 1st April 2023. This means that the pre-printed UK Certificate of Origin stationery will be obsolete and instead UK Certificates of Origin must be printed in colour on plain paper. If you have any blank UK Certificates of Origin that you no longer require, please return them to us and we will reimburse you for any unused documents.
Over 40% of Certificates of Origin issued worldwide are now printed on plain paper. As we move into a digital future, the BCC wants Chambers to be in the vanguard, working with the Government to achieve its goal of a paperless border by 2025. The move to plain paper Certificates of Origin is the first step in this journey.
If required, the Chamber can print your Certificates or documents (standard applications on eCert, costs will apply) where wet stamp certification or legalisation is required by an importer, bank or destination country customs authority.
Documents requiring original signatures from all parties may still be posted. Certificates of Origin printed via the online platform have additional security features, such as the QR code, allowing anyone with the Certificate to view an online version of the Certificate of Origin so they can check it has not been amended or falsified. Anyone with the Certificate of Origin will also be able to verify the authenticity of the Certificate of Origin via the ICC verification website. Customs authorities worldwide are looking to be able to verify Certificates of Origin online. This will also simplify the printing of Certificates of Origin by exporters as they will no longer need to insert a blank Certificate of Origin correctly into the printer before printing.
Please note: GWE Business West Ltd (trading as Business West) [on behalf of Bristol Chamber of Commerce] (“BCC”) will not be held liable should your Certificates of Origin be refused by Overseas Customs Authorities, banks, importers or other third parties, or if exporters use the obsolete pre-printed stationery, or if they fail to print the documents in colour or in the correct format after 1st April 2023. We have updated our Standard Rules to incorporate these changes.
You can see examples of how both the express and standard Certificates will look once printed on plain paper:
There are very few changes for you as the exporter, the main one being you will now only have the option to print the original and copy page of the document.
We are running a webinar on Thursday 30th March at 11 am to go through the details of Certificate of Origin plain paper printing, together with any queries you may have. Click here to register.
The recording of the webinar will also be available on this page. If you have any further questions please email the Business West export documentation team at ezcert@businesswest.co.uk.
