Global Indy Business Center

A Certificate of Origin (CO) is an important international trade document attesting that goods in a particular export shipment are wholly obtained, produced, manufactured, or processed in a particular country. COs also constitute a declaration by the exporter. Millions of COs are issued every year, facilitating trade around the world. Since as early as 1898, Chambers of commerce have been issuing non-preferential COs. The 1923 Geneva Convention and subsequent Kyoto Convention have seen governments formally recognize the important role chambers play in this domain, deeming them competent authorities and credible trusted third parties in the issuance of COs. Virtually every country in the world considers the origin of imported goods when determining the duty that will be applied to the goods or, in some cases, whether the goods may be legally imported at all. In addition, COs may be needed to comply with letters of credit, foreign customs requirements, or a buyer’s request.

To setup your account:Download and complete the following form and return it to memberservices@indychamber.com. While you do not need to be a member to access this service, the service fee for each document is $20 for Indy Chamber members and $40 for non-members. If a non-electronic copy is required, it may be requested through the online portal for an additional $30 (courier cost), or at the cost of your courier of choice. Prices for additional services (listed above) can be found directly on the portal. If you would like information on non-electronic (i.e. wet-stamp) copies provided by our staff, please email memberservices@indychamber.com. The Indy Chamber offers in-person, non-electronic services to in-market members only. Those services are available on Thursdays, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm through scheduled courier drop-off/pick-up.

Once your company’s account is established, you will receive a welcome email from our ICC-accredited affiliate with log-in information. You may use this unified log-in anywhere in the United States to manage and generate electronic CO/COO and other documents across multiple company locations. Those CO/COO are then certified by the Indy Chamber, as an ICC-accredited affiliate. Your account will enable you to quickly generate and certify these and other documents, without the need to visit our offices in downtown Indianapolis. Through your account, you will have the ability to generate: Online Chamber Certifications, Online Certificates of Origin and Arab Certificates of Origin, and online document legalization requests. If proof of review or a non-electronic (“wet stamp” or “embossing”) process is required, your online account can be used to produce these non-electronic documents as well. Any errors in documentation will be bounced back to you for correction, at no additional cost. You will also have access to our Online Certificate Verification tool for overseas Customs authorities, banks, and other related entities.

Certain countries, primarily those that are non-signatories to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, require commercial documents to be legalized by the country’s US Embassy or Consulate. Depending on invoice value, embassy fees can run into thousands of dollars in some countries, so exporters must be aware of these requirements. The most common countries requiring embassy or consulate legalization include: Algeria, Argentina, Bahrain, Bolivia, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Paraguay, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Qatar, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen. Our chamber, in partnership with AWTCC, offers this service to system users. Each document is quoted on an individual basis prior to processing. Simply request legalization service with application.

A product or service’s success in the domestic market is a good indicator of its potential for export success. If your product or service is untried in the domestic marketplace, you could benefit from concentrating on domestic sales first. In the meantime, view Strategic Reasons to Export to learn how your business might benefit from exporting.

Management commitment is the number one determining factor for export success, and an essential part of any export plan. Many companies begin export activities haphazardly, without carefully screening markets or options for market entry. Without an export plan, better export opportunities are often overlooked. Start by formulating a well-thought-out export strategy. View My Export Plan, Research the Global Market Place, and Select Initial Markets.

Can your company meet the increased demand it is creating? More space and equipment might be required to manufacture for the specific countries (which often have their own product standards and regulations) you are selling to. Financing might be needed to include any product modification costs. See Determine Your Export Potential to explore.

A big hurdle for many companies is market development, as it requires funds for activities such as international travel, trade missions, trade show participation, market research, and business training. However, federal government export financing programs can assist. View Obtain Financing for links to the Trade Finance Guide.

Selecting and preparing your product for export requires both knowledge of the product and the unique characteristics of each target market. However, before the sale can occur, your product(s) may need to be modified to satisfy buyer tastes or regulatory requirements in foreign countries. View the Plan Your Market Entry Strategy video on the How to Export Video Series.

When shipping a product overseas, be aware of packing, labeling, documentation, and insurance requirements. Also, be familiar with methods of shipping, import rules and regulations of foreign countries, and export regulations of the U.S. government. Visit the Navigate Shipping and Logistics page to begin.

U.S. businesses should know that protecting your intellectual property domestically does not extend your protection internationally, so companies should do their research first before exporting. View Protecting Your IP Abroad.

Experienced exporters have extensive knowledge of export payment mechanisms, extend credit cautiously, and monitor older accounts. The U.S. Commercial Service International Company Profile (ICP) provides key information for credit checks. See the Methods of Payment page and Get Export Counseling for guidance.

Check to see if your product might require an export license, particularly if your product has military or dual military/civilian use. There are several U.S. government agencies that oversee licensing requirements for distinct categories of products. Visit U.S. Export Regulations.