Self-certification of Origins of Goods

To support development and integration needs of businesses and assist authorities to enhance management capabilities, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam together with the Secretariat of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) jointly organised a seminar on self-certification of origin.

 

Currently, Vietnam is studying and developing mechanisms that allow businesses to self-certify the origin of goods to enjoy tax incentives specified by free trade agreements.

 

At the workshop, EFTA experts and delegates exchanged information and opinions about regulation, process and procedure issues for the deployment of self-certification of origin. This is useful knowledge and information for businesses to export goods to EFTA member markets. This knowledge will help exporters not only avoid being removed from the game but also effectively utilise preferential tariffs.

 

With self-certification of origin mechanism will fundamentally change the ways of inspecting the origin of goods. Accordingly, authorities in exporting countries will not be responsible for certification of origin of goods but exporters will have to declare the origin of their goods. Exporters certified by authorities will be allowed to self-certify the origin of their export products to meet standard origin criteria and possibly enjoy preferential tariff treatments in importing countries (Generalised System of Preferences - GSP or Free Trade Agreement - FTA). This self-determined origin must be the same as that on invoices and other export documents.

 

Authorities in importing countries will be responsible for examining the accuracy of the self-certified origin of goods ​​when the goods are imported. Authorities in exporting countries will coordinate in investigation and assessment of origin upon request from importing countries. EFTA was established on May 3, 1960 as another trade bloc for non-EU countries. EFTA now currently has four official members, namely Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

 

Given potential economic cooperation between Vietnam and EFTA as well as the needs of businesses and investors, in 2009, senior leaders of Vietnam and EFTA member countries agreed to elevate economic cooperation by means of negotiation and signing of Vietnam - EFTA Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Approved and guided by the Prime Minister, from May 22-25, 2012, Vietnam conducted the first round of FTA negotiations with EFTA. And, the two sides have experienced eight FTA negotiations thus far.