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Certificates of Origin are shipping documents detailing information on the type of goods being exported, their destination, and most importantly, their country or countries of origin. The burden of determining whether a Certificate of Origin is necessary is the exporter’s responsibility. Once that determination is made, the Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade can certify that the information provided by the exporter on the Certificate of Origin is correct according to the accompanying documentation, such as the invoice or shipping affidavit. Validation is a key service provided by the Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade, with a preferred rate given to members. All Certificate of Origin clients must provide a notarized letter of waiver to be kept on file for two years.

The Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade follows guidelines set by the International Chamber of Commerce for certifying Certificates of Origin. The Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade cannot certify:

• Certificates of origin from other countries;
• Government inspection agency certificates;
• NAFTA certificates of origin;
• Any document with a boycott clause;
• Scholastic degrees or diplomas;
• Personal documents, such as divorce, marriage, or death certificates

Fees

• Members: $45 per set up to 12 pages
• Non-Members: $75 per set up to 12 pages
• Additional pages: $1.50 each

For fee purposes, a “set” constitutes putting up to 12 stamps on pages containing the same invoice number. This can be any combination of documents, such as certificates of origin, invoices, packing lists, waybills, etc., as long as they are related to the same shipment (same consignee address must be on all documents), same product, and are going to the same destination.

Certificate of origin templates

PDF

MS Word

Letter of Waiver Template

The Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade requires a Letter of Waiver on file for all documentation services to be completed.

Letter of waiver template

The Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade certifies visa application letters. No notarization is required for certification since the respective embassies further examine all visa applications. The Middle East and parts of Asia particularly require this documentation. The onus is on the applicant to find out if it is needed.

Canadian business people or companies looking to do business in some Middle Eastern countries often require a package of special documentation that introduces them to potential business partners in other countries. Providing such a letter is a signal of business legitimacy. The stamp of a Board of Trade or Chamber of Commerce on such a document gives credence and authenticity to the Canadian businessperson. Such letters will only be issued to members of the Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade.

In the past, Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade have been asked to certify certificates of fumigation on containers filled with used clothing destined for developing countries. The practice is not to certify such a document; however, to issue a document on letterhead that we have examined an original of the fumigation certificate, it has been notarized, and it appears to be genuine based on our examination.

The Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade can only provide a certified letter on our letterhead regarding certificates of composition/analysis. The letter will outline that we have reviewed the original report, and to the best of our knowledge, it is true and accurate. We do not perform the testing of products, nor do we produce the actual Analysis Report; this is to be created by a reputable testing laboratory.

Although the procedure is similar to that of authorizing a standard certificate of origin, there are a few differences. Exporters should use the standard certificate of origin form with an additional clause to the effect of “the goods were purchased in Canada and are being exported for use by the exporter”.