Certificate of Origin (COO)

What Is a Certificate of Origin?

A Certificate of Origin (COO) is a document that declares the country where your goods were manufactured. Customs authorities use it to decide which tariff rate applies — the standard rate or a preferential rate under a trade agreement.

Under an agreement like ChAFTA, the certificate is what unlocks the deal. Goods that qualify as Chinese-origin enter Australia duty-free only when the importer presents a valid certificate at clearance. Without it, the standard MFN duty of 5–10% applies.

In China the certificate is issued by an authorised body — usually the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) or the customs authority — and it must match the shipment’s origin rules exactly. A wrong product description or a missing signature is enough for customs to reject the claim.