Certificate Of Origin: Bahrain's Trade Requirements And Rules

A Certificate of Origin is a document that declares the country in which a product or good was made. It is widely used in international trade transactions and is essential for clearing customs. The certificate contains information about the product, its destination, and the country of export. For example, a product may be marked Made in the USA. This certificate may also include a declaration by the manufacturer, maker, supplier, exporter, or the country in question. A Certificate of Origin is required for commercial exports to Bahrain and must be signed, notarized, and certified.

Commercial Exports to Bahrain

The Certificate of Origin is one of the most important export documents. It provides documentary evidence that the goods originated in the country stated in the certificate, commercial invoice, or packing list. Customs authorities expect this certificate to be separate from the commercial invoice or packing list. While they do not typically require it to be signed by the exporter, if it is, the signature must be notarized.

In addition to the Certificate of Origin, importers must submit the following documents for the importation of goods to Bahrain:

• Import customs declaration form
• Shipping agent delivery order from the shipping agent line to the importer/consignee (with valid commercial registration)
• Three copies of the original invoices from the exporter addressed to the importer
• Two copies of the packing list with detailed weights, packaging, and goods classification for each individual item within the shipment
• A copy of the insurance policy
• Original bill of lading
• Import permit/approval from the relevant authority for restricted goods
• Bank advice/guarantee (if applicable)
• A statistical declaration if the final destination of the goods is within GCC countries

It is recommended that importers use a registered, licensed clearing agent to ensure import procedures are completed efficiently.

Clearing Customs

A Certificate of Origin (COO) is a crucial document when it comes to clearing customs. Customs officers require this document to determine the duties that must be paid and to check whether the goods being imported/exported are illegal. COO attestation is one of the most significant procedures of legalization, which involves getting an attestation stamp from the Bahrain Embassy. The process of obtaining a COO is lengthy and can take anywhere from 7 to 25 days.

• Notarization: The first step is to get the document notarized in the state from which it originated. This applies to both business and commercial documents.
• Certification from the Secretary of State: Once notarized, the document must be certified by the Secretary of State.
• Authentication by the Arab American Chamber of Commerce (AACC): The AACC will authenticate the documents from the US Department of State.
• Legalization from the Embassy of Bahrain: Finally, the documents will be legalized by the Embassy of Bahrain.

It is important to note that the process may vary slightly depending on the country of origin. For example, in India, the process involves attestation from the Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and notarization before legalization by the Bahrain Embassy.

Country of Origin Determination

A Certificate of Origin (COO) is a document that declares which country a product or good was made in. It is widely used in international trade transactions and is instrumental in establishing proof of origin of goods. The COO contains information about the product, its destination, and the country of export. For instance, a COO from India to Bahrain would verify that the product was indeed made in India.

The COO is essential for clearing customs. In the absence of a COO, a customs officer will not allow goods to leave the warehouse. The COO is also used by customs officers to determine the duties that must be paid and to check whether the goods being exported/imported are illegal.

The COO is also important for exporters to verify where their goods come from and to assert their claim to benefits that goods of a particular origin may be eligible for in the country of exports.

The process of obtaining a COO involves multiple steps. In India, for instance, the COO is issued by Chambers of Commerce (CoC). It is then attested by a notary, followed by the Chamber of Commerce, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), and finally, the Bahrain Embassy. The entire process takes around 7-10 working days.

Certificate of Origin Attestation

A Certificate of Origin (COO) is a document that declares which country a product or good was made in. It is widely used in international trade transactions and is essential for exporters to verify where their goods come from. This allows them to claim any benefits that goods of that origin are eligible for in the country of export.

The COO contains information about the product, its destination, and the country of export. For example, a good may be marked "Made in India".

The Certificate of Origin Attestation is one of the significant procedures of legalization in which an attestation stamp from the Bahrain Embassy is procured. It needs to be done from the certificate-issued country, in this case, India.

The process for a COO Attestation for Bahrain is as follows:

• Chamber of Commerce Attestation: The Chamber of Commerce is an organization of local businessmen, and authentication from this organization is the initial step for the commercial document legalization. Commercial documents prove that your entrepreneurship is legitimate, and commercial document authentication aids in ratifying the same.
• COO Attestation from the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs is the last stage of certification from the home government, after which an MEA stamp is applied to the document.
• COO Attestation from the Bahrain Embassy, Consulate New Delhi, India: This is the last step of the certification.

The process usually takes seven to ten working days. A covering letter on company letterhead is also required, stating the reason for the attestation or legalization purpose.

Certificate of Origin Legalization

A Certificate of Origin (COO) is a document that declares which country a product or good was made in. It is widely used in international trade transactions and is essential for clearing customs when importing/exporting goods. COO is also used by customs officers to determine the duties that must be paid and to check whether the goods being imported/exported are illegal.

The COO contains information about the product, its destination, and the country of export. For example, a good may be marked "Made in the UK". This certificate may also include a declaration by the manufacturer, maker, supplier, exporter, or importer.

The process for obtaining a COO differs depending on the country. For example, in India, the process involves notarization from a notary public, COO attestation from the Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of External Affairs, and finally, legalization from the respective country's embassy or consulate. The legalization process can be lengthy, taking anywhere from 7 to 25 working days to complete.

In the UK, the process for obtaining proof of origin for goods involves checking that the goods are covered by a trade agreement and meet the rules. This can be done by reading the guides on the rules of origin. If the goods are being imported or exported with a country that has a trade agreement with the UK, they are likely to have a reduced or nil rate of duty based on their origin. Unless the trade agreement states otherwise, proof of origin is required in the form of evidence of preference for the goods and an origin declaration. The type of proof needed depends on where the goods are being imported from or exported to, and this can be checked using the trade tariff tool.

For trade with Bahrain, a COO is required for goods imported/exported and can be obtained through the legalization process as outlined by the respective country's embassy or consulate.

Frequently asked questions