USMCA certificate of origin: the 9 data elements, blanket period and thresholds

How a USMCA claim works

The importer claims preference at entry. In the US this is done on the entry summary by putting "S" or "S+" before the HTSUS subheading of each originating good, and the certification must be in the importer's possession when the claim is made. CBP may ask for a copy, and the importer is responsible for the truth of the claim.

A certification can be completed by the importer, exporter or producer. An exporter that is not the producer may rely on the producer's written representation that the good is originating. It must be signed and dated by an authorised person; electronic and digital signatures are accepted. The US accepts certifications in English, French or Spanish; for Canada the CBSA lists English or French.

The nine minimum data elements (Annex 5-A)

• 1. Certifier type: whether the certifier is the exporter, producer or importer
• 2. Certifier: name, title, address (including country), telephone number and email address
• 3. Exporter: name, address, email and phone, if different from the certifier (not needed if a producer certifies and does not know the exporter)
• 4. Producer: name, address, email and phone, if different from the certifier or exporter; "Various" or an attached list for several producers, or "Available upon request by the importing authorities" for confidentiality
• 5. Importer: name, address, email and phone, if known
• 6. Description and HS tariff classification of the good to the 6-digit level, plus the invoice number for a single shipment if known
• 7. Origin criteria under which the good qualifies, as set out in Article 4.2
• 8. Blanket period, if the certification covers multiple shipments of identical goods (up to 12 months)
• 9. Authorized signature and date, with the statement "I certify that the goods described in this document qualify as originating and the information contained in this document is true and accurate" and the rest of the Annex 5-A text

Thresholds, records and late claims

The agreement lets each country skip the certification for low-value imports of at least USD 1,000. The US does not require a copy for non-commercial imports or commercial imports whose originating goods are worth USD 2,500 or less, and Canada sets CAD 3,300 for value for duty; both can still ask for one if shipments are split to avoid the rule. Mexico had up to three years and six months after entry into force to accept certifications completed by the importer.

US importers must keep the certification and supporting records for at least five years from importation, and Canada asks for six years. If no claim was made at entry, a US importer can claim the preference and a refund within one year after the date of importation. Even when a good qualifies, other US duties can still apply; see Triplicate's note on US import duties.