WCO Unveils Digital Framework for Sharing Certificates of Origin

The World Customs Organization (WCO) has taken a major step to cut red tape and fight origin fraud by introducing a new digital interconnectivity framework for secure, real-time electronic exchange of Certificates of (preferential) Origin between customs administrations. This system is designed to modernize how countries verify the origin of goods.

The WCO’s new Interconnectivity Framework for Certificates of Origin provides a global model for the electronic exchange of these documents. Currently, Certificates of Origin are mostly paper-based, making them slow to process, costly, and vulnerable to forgery. These certificates are essential for goods to benefit from preferential tariffs under the various Preferential Trade Agreements and other trade arrangements (e.g., Generalized Systems of Preferences) that are currently in force. The WCO’s new digital framework aims at encouraging the transition from this outdated process to an automated and standardized electronic system.

A key element of the framework is the first version of the Globally Networked Customs (GNC) Utility Block, which sets out how countries’ Customs systems can connect and exchange information. Here’s how it works: when an exporting authority issues a digital Certificate of Origin, the data is automatically sent to the importing country’s Customs system in real time. This means Customs officers can verify the origin of goods before they even reach the border. The benefits are wide-ranging:

• For Businesses: Faster clearance at borders, lower costs, and fewer administrative delays. The process becomes more transparent and predictable.
• For Customs Authorities: Access to real-time data improves risk management and makes it easier to detect fraud and verify trade agreement claims.
• For Governments: The system builds trust between trading partners, reduces revenue losses from fraud, and strengthens overall trade governance.

The framework also sets out the legal and technical standards needed to make this system work, such as secure communication channels (TLS/VPN) and standardized data formats.

Electronic Certificates of Origin are increasingly being adopted by African Regional Economic Communities (RECs), including COMESA, SADC, and ECOWAS. Additionally, there is a continental-level project under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) aiming to utomating the issuance and acceptance of certificates of origin across all African countries. This aligns closely with the WCO’s global vision, paving the way for faster, safer, and more transparent trade across Africa.

By digitizing and harmonizing the exchange of origin information, the WCO is paving the way for a more connected, efficient, and trustworthy global trade system, replacing slow, paper-based verification of preferential origin with fast, secure digital processes.