On July 1, 2020, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), known as CUSMA in Canada and T-MEC in Mexico, replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). While USMCA contains several changes from NAFTA, one of the more expansive changes is that under USMCA, how the origin of goods is certified will be completely different.
Here are some comparisons on how to certify origin under NAFTA versus USMCA:
|
NAFTA Certificate of Origin |
USMCA/T-MEC/CUSMA Certification of Origin |
|
Standardized form |
No standardized form, but required data elements |
|
No provision for electronic submission |
Can be completed and submitted electronically with a digital signature |
|
Must be on the form agreed upon by all participating countries |
Can be provided on a commercial invoice or other documents |
|
Can be completed by the exporter or producer |
Can be completed by the exporter, producer, or importer* |
|
Can be provided in English, Spanish, or French (but governments can request a translation) |
Can be provided in English, Spanish, or French (but governments can request a translation) |
|
Must be in importer’s possession at the time of trade preference claim on a declaration |
Must be in importer’s possession at the time of trade preference claim on a declaration |
|
Can apply to a single shipment, or multiple shipments of identical goods within 12 months |
Can apply to a single shipment, or multiple shipments of identical goods within 12 months |
*In Mexico, the agreement allows for up to 3.5 years from July 1, 2020, to implement the importer certification.
To ensure you are ready to claim a preference under USMCA/T-MEC/CUSMA on July 1, it is important to understand what documentation is needed to prove eligibility.
For more information on the certification of origin, or on USMCA in general, reach out to your local Expeditors representative.
