The Certificate of Origin is a signed document from the manufacturer indicating the goods are of Canadian origin and meet the requirements of free trade agreements such as USMCA (NAFTA) or Canada-European Free Trade Association Agreement.


If you are a Canadian manufacturer, your customer - the importer in a foreign country - may be entitled to preferred tariffs and pay lower (or zero) duty rates if they can provide a valid certificate of origin to their country's customs agency. 


A Certificate of Origin must be completed and signed by the exporter of the goods. If you are the exporter but not the manufacturer, you should complete the certificate based on your knowledge of the goods origin.


What you should do:

  1. Use the correct Certificate of Origin document as found on the CBSA website, located under the Proof of Origin section. For NAFTA, use this B232 form.
  2. Forward a copy of the document to the importer and retain a copy for your records.
  3. Include a copy of the document inside the shipment and outside with other documents you may present to the driver representing the carrier.
  4. Retain a backup copy of each completed certificate of origin for a period of six (6) years after the shipment.