Workshop on Certificate of Origin

The Shippers’ Academy, Colombo together with the ICC ( International Chamber of Commerce) Sri Lanka is organising the first-ever workshop on ‘Certificate of Origin’ (CO) in Colombo with the inclusion of the Department of Commerce discussing such procedures at state government.

The CO is an important trade document attesting that goods in a particular export shipment are wholly obtained, produced, manufactured or processed in a particular country. Paris-based ICC says that “COs also constitute 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”.

In most countries, chambers of commerce are the key agents in the delivery of certificates of origin. However, in some countries, this privilege may also be extended to other bodies such as ministries or customs authorities.

CEO of the Shippers Academy Colombo Rohan Masakorala said that “It is a must that CEOs, managers, bankers, international trade executives, and logistics /freight forwarders have a good understanding of the CO document and its functions when involved in import / export trade. It is also an important document for an emerging hub like Sri Lanka, where new hub operations, FTAs, transshipment, value addition etc. is going to expand, and the knowledge of proper documentation will help develop the overall logistics performance”.

The workshop will be held on July 30 at the Sri Lanka Foundation.

The CO is an important trade document attesting that goods in a particular export shipment are wholly obtained, produced, manufactured or processed in a particular country.