A certificate of origin is the document that proves goods meet a trade agreement's rules of origin and can therefore receive preferential tariff treatment. It does not state where the goods were shipped from: it states where they are considered originating under the agreement's rules, which is a different thing.
That is the most common confusion. A product can leave the United States and not be USMCA-originating; and it can be USMCA-originating even with inputs from other countries, if it meets the rule that applies to it. Origin is a legal qualification, not a shipping address.
What changed with the USMCA
If you worked under NAFTA, this is what has to be unlearned. According to USMCA Report No. 48 from Mexico's Undersecretariat for Foreign Trade (Ministry of Economy, June 5, 2020):
- The certificate of origin form was eliminated. There is no longer an official form to fill in.
- Certification can go on the invoice or on any other commercial document, as long as the minimum data elements are declared.
- It is valid for four years from the date of issue.
- It runs on self-certification: there is no authority to visit in order to obtain one.
- It can be completed by the exporter, the producer or the importer. NAFTA did not allow importer certification; the USMCA introduced it.
And one point that still trips up anyone with an old file: since July 1, 2020, certificates issued under NAFTA cannot be used to claim preferential treatment under the USMCA. A NAFTA-format certificate sitting in your records is not a valid certificate; it is a piece of paper.
The nine minimum data elements (Annex 5-A)
Annex 5-A of the USMCA sets out what the certification must contain. There are nine, exactly as the agreement lists them:
| # | Element | What is declared |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Who certifies | Whether the certifier is the exporter, the producer or the importer |
| 2 | Certifier | Name, title, address including country, telephone and email |
| 3 | Exporter | Their details, if different from the certifier |
| 4 | Producer | Their details, if different; with multiple producers, state "Various" |
| 5 | Importer | Their details, if known; address in the territory of one of the Parties |
| 6 | Description and tariff classification | Description of the goods and Harmonized System code at 6 digits |
| 7 | Origin criterion | The rule under which the goods qualify (Article 4.2) |
| 8 | Blanket period | If it covers multiple identical shipments, the term, up to 12 months |
| 9 | Authorized signature and date | Signed and dated, with the responsibility statement |
Two details that get overlooked:
Classification goes to six digits, not eight. The Harmonized System is international up to the sixth digit; the digits after that are national and are not required here.
The producer can withhold their details. Anyone who does not want to disclose them may state "Available upon request by the importing authorities." It is an option built into the annex itself, useful when a producer does not want their customer to learn who their supplier is.
The statement you sign
Element 9 is not just a signature. The annex includes the text that must accompany it:
"I certify that the goods described in this document qualify as originating and the information contained in this document is true and accurate. I assume responsibility for proving such representations and agree to maintain and present upon request or to make available during a verification visit, documentation necessary to support this certification."
Read it slowly. Whoever signs assumes responsibility for proving it and commits to keeping the supporting records for a verification. That is why deciding who certifies is not an administrative choice: certifying without holding the origin calculation behind it means taking on a liability you will later have to defend with documents.
Per shipment or blanket period
Element 8 opens an option that saves work: one certification can cover multiple shipments of identical goods for a period of up to 12 months.
| Per shipment | Blanket period | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | One transaction | Identical shipments up to 12 months |
| You state | Invoice number, if known | The period covered |
| Best when | Occasional purchases or varied assortment | You import the same SKU on a recurring basis |
If you bring in the same product from the same supplier month after month, a blanket certification saves you repeating the paperwork on every order.
What this article does not answer
We are not publishing whether there is a value threshold below which certification is not required. The official document we used as our source does not address it, and we did not find a verifiable figure we could cite with confidence. It is exactly the kind of detail to confirm with your customs broker for your specific operation, because it determines whether a small shipment needs the document at all.
We also do not get into how to calculate whether goods qualify as originating. That calculation — regional value content, tariff shift, product-specific rules — is its own topic and depends on each product's classification.
Where this fits in your operation
The certificate of origin lives in the import file, alongside the commercial invoice, the packing list and the pedimento. It is issued by your supplier or by you; the party who uses it to claim preferential treatment is your customs broker.
A logistics operator does not certify origin. We do not issue it, we do not validate it and we do not rule on whether your goods qualify: that is the exporter's, producer's or importer's responsibility, backed by their customs broker. What we do is make sure the file and the goods arrive complete and coordinated at clearance, and that receiving on the other side does not become the new bottleneck.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an official USMCA certificate of origin form? No. The USMCA eliminated the form. Certification can go on the commercial invoice or any other document, as long as it includes the nine minimum data elements from Annex 5-A.
How long is a USMCA certificate of origin valid? Four years from its date of issue. If it covers multiple identical shipments, the blanket period it declares can run up to 12 months.
Can I, as the importer, certify origin? Yes. The USMCA introduced importer certification, in addition to exporter and producer certification. Whoever signs assumes responsibility for proving what is declared and for keeping the supporting records.
Is my NAFTA certificate of origin still valid? Not for the USMCA. Since July 1, 2020, certificates issued under NAFTA are no longer valid for claiming preferential tariff treatment under the new agreement.
This guide is informational and does not constitute legal or customs advice. For your specific case, consult your customs broker.
If you are bringing inventory into Mexico and want goods received, checked and sellable the same day they clear customs, that is how our import logistics works.