A World Trade Organisation forum has highlighted the need for certificates of origin requirements to become simpler, cheaper and more transparent.
According to public and private sector trade representatives attending the forum, the onerous requirements generate significant costs and delays for businesses – which are sometimes as much as several hundred dollars per certificate.
Manager of the International Trade Centre’s Non-Tariff Measures Programme, Ursula Hermelink, pointed out that the largest barrier faced by traders with regard to rules of origin was the lack of clarity, consistency and predictability.
KPMG Switzerland Trade and Customs director, Michel Aniker, added that non-preferential rules of origin created “significant” barriers to trade, were difficult to understand, and were often misused by both traders and customs authorities.
Participants in the forum acknowledged that there were several gaps in the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement – which addressed some of these concerns – and said that there would be scope for further positive outcomes through the WTO’s Committee on Rules of Origin.
Hermelink said that measures to make certification of origin requirements more transparent, cheaper and simpler should be implemented.
Additionally, World Customs Organisation senior technical officer, Mette Azzam, pointed out that in most cases customs authorities did not actually require a certificate to perform their duties.
