A Certificate of Origin (CO) is an official document certifying in which country/region the goods were produced. The customs authority of the importing country uses it to decide whether to grant tariff preferences, at what rate the goods are levied, and how to handle customs clearance and trade statistics.
According to the “Measures for the Administration of the Issuance of Certificates of Origin for Exported Goods” (GAC Order No. 270) issued by the General Administration of Customs, certificates of origin are mainly divided into 3 categories included non-preferential, GSP (Generalized System of Preferences) and regional preferential, plus special-purpose certificates.
The core logic is a non-preferential certificate only proves origin, a preferential certificate is what actually saves you duty. Which certificate to obtain depends on whether the destination country has an FTA or GSP arrangement with China.
Practical Recommendations for Exporting Door Products
▪ Exporting to ASEAN (Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.) , obtain Form E , most products qualify for zero tariff.
▪ Exporting to Japan, Korea, Australia or New Zealand , obtain the RCEP Certificate of Origin (widest coverage, in force since 2022).
▪ Exporting to Chile → Form F to Pakistan, Peru, etc. , the corresponding bilateral FTA certificate.
▪ Exporting to countries with no FTA with China (e.g., parts of the Middle East and Africa) , a general CO is sufficient for customs clearance and L/C settlement.
▪ If eligible, apply for Approved Exporter status (under RCEP, China–Switzerland, China–Iceland, China–New Zealand, China–Mauritius, etc.), which allows you to issue your own Statement of Origin without applying for a certificate shipment by shipment, saving time and effort.
As the first group of automatic door companies in China, we TSTC had developed in automatic door field for more than 10 years, our key products including automatic revolving door, sliding door, hermetic door, swing door had already exported to more than 20 countries, some of which need CO as below .
3 Key Points to Note
1. The Rules of Origin determine whether your goods actually qualify as originating.Standards include Wholly Obtained (WO), Change in Tariff Classification (CTC), and Regional Value Content (RVC- the thresholds differ by agreement). If the goods fail to meet the applicable standard, no preferential certificate can be issued.
2. Documentary consistency. The description of goods, quantity, gross weight and shipping marks on the certificate must match the commercial invoice, bill of lading and packing list, otherwise the importing country may launch a verification inquiry .
3. Retroactive issuance deadlines. Form E, for example, may be issued retroactively within one year after shipment, but it is best to apply before or at the time of shipment, applying late may require special procedures or even jeopardize the tariff benefit.
