Export documents

A Certificate of Origin is a specific document that identifies goods and contains express certification by an empowered authority such as the Chamber of Commerce that the goods originate in a specific country.
Certificate of Australian Origin is documentary evidence that the goods have been grown, produced or manufactured in Australia.
The Business Chamber Queensland International Trade Team is authorised to issue Certificates of Origin.

For customs clearance at the port of destination
To export certain products from Australia
As a requirement of the Letter of Credit
Importer to benefit from reduced tariffs which is the case in regard to Certificates of Origin associated with the free trade agreements.

The Certificates of Origin are used for customs clearance at the port or airport at the destination country.
Many customs measures relating to goods being imported into a country, in particular those relating to tariff & public health; depend for their administration on the origin of the goods.
The increasing number & the complexities of the Free Trade Agreements has emphasised the importance of correctly identifying the origin of imports. Such evidence is the Certificate of Origin.
Certificates of Origin can also be requested by the overseas buyer to verify the origin of the goods.

Also, the Certificate of Origin can be a requirement of the Letter of Credit issued by the bank of the importer. Without the Certificate of Origin, the exporter won’t receive the payment for the goods exported.
In the case with the Certificates of Origin associated with the free trade agreements, the certificates are required by the importer to be able to benefit from the reduced tariff rates for the product/s (when applicable) under the free trade agreement. For example, for exports to China of originating goods from Australia the exporter is required to organise a ChAFTA Certificate of Origin in order to qualify for the preferential rates.

12 months from the date of issue from the Chamber.
KAFTA Certificate of Origin – the applicable Certificate of Origin under Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA), is the only exception – where the validity is 24 months from the date of issue from the Chamber.

Yes, your freight company can apply for a Certificate of Origin for you. As long as the names and signatures of the authorised signatories are included in the Exporter Registration Form C04 as their authorised representatives, the freight company can sign Certificates of Origin on behalf of the exporter.

The most frequently requested supporting evidence from us is the Bill of Lading (if the cargo is shipped) or the Air Waybill (if the cargo is exported by air). Also, packing lists and commercial invoices can be considered as evidence. If the shipment is under a Letter of Credit (L/C), the Chamber can also request a copy of the L/C.

• Certificates of Origin submitted to [email protected] will be processed within 24 hours service from submission.

• Certificates of Origin submitted to [email protected] will be processed within 24 hours service from submission.

By electronic Certificates of Origin, we refer to Certificates of Origin processed through an online system
Most countries accept electronically issued Certificates of Origin including Certificates of Origin associated with the Free Trade Agreements
However, in order to qualify as an original Certificate it must be printed by the exporter on A4 white paper, in colour and double-sided. Avoid e-mailing electronic Certificates to the importer!

Free trade agreements (FTA’s) are international treaties that reduce barriers to trade and investment.
Australia’s FTA’s — both with individual countries and groups of countries— provide:

• Better Australian access to important markets
• An improved competitive position for Australian exports
• More prospects for increased two-way investment
• Reduced import costs for Australian businesses and consumers alike.

For further information, please refer here.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) is authorised body by the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) to issue the Certificates of Origin associated with the FTA’s. These Certificates are called Preferential Certificates of Origin as they attract preferential tariff treatment at destination. Business Chamber Queensland is authorised representative of ACCI to issue Preferential Certificates of Origin. Certificates of Origin –preferential COO’s (Free Trade Agreements COO’s)

Preferential Certificates of Origin are the Certificates of Origin issued for exports from Australia to countries with which Australia has Free Trade Agreements. It can be used by importers to claim preferential tariff concessions.
The Australian Government has introduced a scheme to formally accredited “bodies” to issue preferential Certificates of Origin to Australian exporters – The FTA Certificates of Origin Recognition Scheme. The Scheme covers only those FTA’s that require a Certificate of Origin to be issued by an “authorised body” or the equivalent. The Government has designated the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAZ-ANZ) to be responsible for the administration of this Scheme. The Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACCI) is a JAZ-ANZ accredited body.

For your importer to claim preferential tariff confessions.

For example, under the provisions off the Korea- Australia FTA (KAFTA):
Australian exporter using ACCI KAFTA Certificate of Origin to export originating from Australia white wine to Korea, the importer of white wine will avoid the 15% applicable tariff as under KAFTA the 15% was eliminated on day one of the FTA operation.  HS Code 2010 – description base rate – staging category – 2204212000 white wine – 15 0

For further information, please refer here.

Your freight forwarder can check the general duties payable and the preferential duties payable for your product which is being exported to the country party of the relevant Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Australia. If the product is not covered by the FTA, you may consider applying for non-preferential Certificate of Origin.
For countries which are part of a number of Free Trade Agreements, it is advisable to check the duty rates under each FTA. For example, Thailand is part of TAFTA & AANZFTA; Japan is part of JAEPA, CPTPP & RCEP
You may find useful DFAT’s FTA portal when assessing which FTA will be more beneficial for your product in terms of traiff rates consesions, among other benefits.

You may also find useful DFAT’s FTA portal: https://ftaportal.dfat.gov.au/

Goods seeking preferential treatment under any FTA must be accompanied by the appropriate documentation – either Certificate of Origin or Declaration of Origin (for goods covered by an advanced ruling on origin).

Contact us for support.

Phone: 07 3192 0150
E-mail: [email protected]

Contact us for the correct forms.

• Phone: 07 3192 0150
• E-mail: [email protected]

Contact us ASAP. We have a formal process in place through ACCI & DFAT. The matter will be addressed at a customs port level.

A Certified Declaration of Origin is a document that verifies that the goods were manufactured outside of Australia and is required when origin certification is requested by the destination country.
For example, machinery imported to Australia from USA and re-exported to New Zealand.
The Business Chamber Queensland International Trade team is authorised to issue Certified Declarations of Origin.

Certified Declaration of Origin is applicable when the country of origin verification is requested by the destination country.
If the goods originated in Australia, a Certificate of Origin will be correct document to use.
For mixed origin shipments, all goods can be listed on the Certified Declaration of Origin.

Follow the same procedure as applying for a Certificate of Origin.
Contact us by Phone: 07 3192 0150 or by E-mail: [email protected] 

• The ATA Carnet is an international customs document allowing duty- free and tax-free admission of goods temporarily imported under certain international conventions.
•  The Carnet operates under international customs conventions administered by the World Customs Organisation and the World Carnet Council manages the system in co-operation with the WCO.
•  It disposes of the need for raising bonds or depositing duty with Customs in deferent countries.
•  ATA Carnet is also called Merchandise Passport for goods.

Reduced costs for the exporter – ATA Carnets are the only document which will prevent you, the Australia exporter, from paying customs duties (in all carnet countries) & import taxes (in most carnet countries) on your temporary exports unless depositing a bond at customs ports is available option.

Payment is not necessary because the Carnet guarantees that the merchandise or equipment will be re-exported within 3 months, 6 months or one year.
Example: A jewellery exporter is taking $1.5m collection from Australia to display at a tradeshow overseas. If the exporter doesn’t have the ATA Carnet will be liable for customs duties & import taxes payable at destination as the items will be considered as permanent import.

2. Simplifies customs procedures as it allows you to use one document for all countries part of your business trip.

3. Facilitates re-entry in Australia as you don’t have to complete import declaration at Customs.

Virtually all goods used for commercial purposes can be covered by the Carnet.

•  Jewellery, Opals
•  Photography and advertising material
•  Scientific equipment, musical instruments, theatrical costumes
•  Professional equipment – eg.TV channels
•  Equipment for testing & maintaining machinery
•  Equipment for use by surgeons, zoologist, archaeologist
•  Equipment for sporting events such as Surfing Completions, Car racing events
•  Commercial samples
•  Goods for international exhibitions, conferences & lectures
•  Other goods for commercial use

Carnets do not cover consumable goods: for example food, agricultural products, engine oil.
Carnets do not cover disposable items or postal traffic.

Over 78 countries accept ATA Carnets.

An ATA Carnet can be obtained for 3, 6 or 12 months. The maximum duration is 12 months.

Some countries allow the extension of the 3 or 6 months Carnets. However, if your Carnet is issued for 12 months, the extension won’t be possible unless there are special circumstances and permission is granted from the overseas customs authority (in writing from customs) permitting the Chamber to issue a replacement of the 12 months original Carnet.

1. Contact our office by phone or e-mail and we will e-mail you all relevant application forms to complete.
Some of the questions we will ask include:

•  What will be the duration of the Carnet- 3, 6 or 12 months?
•  How many trips from Australia will you be completing?
•  How many countries you are going to visit and how many times?
•  Are you using a freight company/s in Australia and overseas to clear the goods through customs?
•  If so, what are the business names of all companies involved with your cargo clearance?
•  We will also ask you the complete itemised general list to be submitted as per the application form requirements as part of the application.

2. Once the form is completed, e-mail back to us [email protected]
3. The International Trade team will check the information and confirm the details with you over the phone.
4. The International Trade team will organise your tax invoice for the fees involved and for the security bond.
5. The Carnet will be issued and you will be advised accordingly to organise collection. Ideally, we prefer for you to come to our office to collect the Carnet as this is a complex document and we would love to explain how to use it. We will also attach a ‘how to use’ list at the back of the Carnet for your reference. Any misuse of the Carnet very likely will result in duties payable overseas or/and penalties imposed from the overseas customs authorities.

Contact us ASAP. As long as the Carnet is not expired and the country of import allows replacement Carnets, we will issue the replacement document for you.

Yes, the maximum is 4 trips from Australia within the duration of the Carnet – 3, 6 or 12 months.

Yes, you can.

There is no limit as such, but keep in mind that additional charges are applicable for additional countries. Up to 3 countries are included in our preparation fee.

As this is a complex document ideally we would prefer to give us at least one weeks notice. However, if an urgent Carnet is required, we can process within 24 hours notice. Please note, the preparation fee is much higher for urgent Carnets.

The guaranteeing body, VECCI requires from us to obtain security bond towards Carnets, usually for the value of 50% of the total value of the goods exported. This is to cover any customs claims that might result from the misuse of a Carnet.
Alternatively, we can accept the security bond equal to the value of customs duties payable on your products if they remain overseas, plus 10%. Please note, the advice should come from the overseas customs authorities, not form your customs broker or the freight company.

The security bond will be refunded back to you within 10 days once the Carnet is returned back to us in complete order.

You can avoid the security bond by obtaining open bank guarantee from your bank towards your Carnet for the value of the bond. Please contact our office to provide you with the relevant template if you chose this option.

This is not advisable, as the purpose of this document is to avoid duties and taxes by returning the goods back to Australia within the stipulated timeframe of the Carnet.
If you sold items from your Carnet prior re-exporting, the rest of the cargo must pay the customs duties on the sold items and the Carnet number MUST BE included in the duties paid receipt. Without the Carnet number, once customs request a claim against this Carnet, there will be no evidence that the goods were already paid for and we have to pay customs from your security deposit held with us.
Once the Carnet is in dispute, it could take up to 1-2 years on occasion for customs to request the payment of duties and we have to hold your deposit until there is no liability for the Chamber.

It depends on the amendment. If you want to add items to the general list, the answer is no. If you wish to add additional countries or a freight company authorised to deal with your cargo, we may be able to amend the existing Carnet.

Yes. There are preparation fees and a security deposit, or preparation fees and a bank guarantee required as a security deposit. Please refer to our fees structure.