On 22 October 2025, the World Customs Organization (WCO) published its “Interconnectivity Framework for Certificates of Origin” (CoOs), aiming to ensure that platforms facilitating the exchange of electronic CoOs between exporting authorities and importing Customs Administrations adhere to a set of protocols, standards and guidelines.
This publication is the result of extensive work carried out by the WCO Secretariat in collaboration with WCO members, reflecting the WCO’s commitment to facilitating the establishment of smoother and more efficient electronic exchanges of origin information, saving time and effort for government agencies involved in setting up the legal, informatics and communications systems supporting such exchanges.
Standards-based interoperability is central to ongoing digitalisation
The digitalisation of origin-related procedures is a critical element in ensuring efficient, transparent, and secure trade under Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). In recent years, some countries and regional entities have created national and regional IT platforms to manage CoO-related processes and exchange electronic data on proofs of origin. Such mechanisms have shortened the CoO issuance time, eliminated the need for traders to submit CoOs to the importing country, removed the burden on Customs to verify scanned documentary copies, and enabled real-time authenticity checks at the moment Customs declarations are submitted.
However, each party often has a different mechanism, with its own technical standards and specifications, a dataset for e-CoOs, data structures, message formats and information flows. This lack of harmonisation hinders the transmission of electronic data on the CoO between two or more governments through the interconnection of computerised systems. Therefore, there is a need for a standard reference to enable seamless exchange of CoO data under bilateral or multilateral FTAs, as well as guidance on the development of a technological solution for CoO interconnectivity between parties.
A legal framework, a business process model, a dataset and technical requirements
In September 2023, to examine how to solve this issue, the WCO launched a feasibility study on the Interconnectivity Framework for CoOs.
An Informal Working Group (IWG), composed of interested members of the Technical Committee on Rules of Origin (TCRO), was established to develop a standardised approach for enabling the exchange of CoO data under bilateral or multilateral FTAs, as well as to provide guidance on designing a technological solution to support CoO interconnectivity between parties.
The development process was divided into two phases. In the first phase, the IWG analysed business process models and recommended the push model for CoO data as the optimal model. The IWG also reviewed the dataset for e-CoOs, which was developed as part of the WCO Data Model. In the second phase, the IWG examined the legal framework and compliance, as well as the technological specifications and requirements for implementing such a mechanism.
| Push Model: Two models for the exchange of CoO data were examined, namely, the Push Model and the Pull Model. In the Push Model, after the CoO is issued, the exporting country’s authority transfers the CoO data to the importing country’s authority. This allows the importing country to receive the CoO data almost in real time and in advance of the claiming of the origin-based treatment process (i.e. import clearance). In contrast, the Pull Model requires the importing country’s authority to initiate access to the CoO data from the exporting country’s outbound gateway, typically during the origin-based treatment claiming process. Currently, most data exchanges for CoOs are implemented using the Push Model, and the IWG did not observe any fully automated Pull Model practice in use. |
Five annexes were also prepared. One of them examines the data elements to be exchanged under the Push Model, for which the WCO has developed a Derived Information Package (DIP) for CoOs as part of the WCO Data Model. Two additional models have been annexed for further information: one examines the semi-automated Pull Model for CoO, and the other explores a second type of proof of origin, namely, the Self-Declaration of Origin, and how the Push Model operates in this context.
The Interconnectivity Framework was developed based on experience with preferential CoOs. However, with regard to business process models and technological specifications in particular, the framework could be referenced for either non-preferential or preferential CoOs.
Way forward
To enable Customs officials unfamiliar with the issues at hand to easily understand the various elements of the framework, the WCO Secretariat is currently developing an e-learning course, which should be available in early 2026.
The Interconnectivity Framework for CoOs is accessible at: