Understanding the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin
The manufacturer’s certificate of origin is a document detailing the ‘original’ owner of a vehicle. It is typically issued by the manufacturer to the first individual coming into procession of the vehicle. These documents are issued by the manufacturer though copies may be available through the DMV.
Confusion often arises when exporting and a certificate of origin is requested by the importer. This could refer to the manufacturer’s certificate of origin or could refer to a certificate of origin for export. These are two distinct and unrelated documents. Unfortunately, the similarity in names causes regular confusion.
The American World Trade Chamber of Commerce (AWTCC) is involved in issuing certificates of origin for exports. These are documents which outline the country of origin for a product so that customs in the country of origin can allow products into the country and determine the right fee structure on them as well.
The manufacturer’s certificate of origin may be issued to a first buyer for cars, trucks, planes, tractors, and other types of vehicles and can even extend into boats.
Which do I need?
When exporting a certificate of origin stamped by a local chamber is a common requirement for all physical products. Vehicles will often be at the value threshold where a stamped certificate of origin for export could be required by customs.
Your importer may be best equipped to identify the requirement.
Is it a requirement of customs to determine the country of origin? If so, you likely need a chamber stamped certificate of origin.
Does the importer or buyer want to see the sale to the original owner to validate the history of the vehicle? If so, you likely need a manufacturer’s certificate of origin which would originally have been issued by the manufacturer.
Further, situations can arise where both would be needed! Ultimately clarity from your importer is needed. In some cases, these are requirements put in place by the importer to help validate who they are working with.
If the chamber stamp is needed, businesses can easily register here.
AWTCC does regularly issues certificates of origin for vehicles. These documents are done in compliance with standards set by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and can be verified via the ICC verification tool.
