Certificates of Origin go electronic

After a successful trial period, the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) has introduced to South Africa electronic Certificates of Origin – eCertify - which is the growing practice internationally.

The Certificate of Origin (COO) is a critical international trade document required by exporters for import compliance and states the origin of all goods – manufactured or processed.

“Currently JCCI is the only Chamber in the country offering the eCertify facility,” says JCCI CEO Joan Warburton-McBride.

“Previously Certificates of Origin were couriered to the Chamber for certification, which is a time-consuming and a costly exercise for chambers, exporters and freight forwarders,” adds Warburton-McBride.

The electronic eCertify has been extensively tested in other countries and is widely accepted.