How to get a CUSMA certificate of origin in Canada

Last updated 3 October 2026

The agreement says certification of origin; the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) uses both that and certificate. Same document. (CBSA D11-4-14)

Step 1: Decide who will certify

The exporter, the producer or the importer can complete the certification. Each needs a basis: information, including documents, showing the good is originating; or, for an exporter who is not the producer, reasonable reliance on the producer’s written representation. (CUSMA Article 5.3)

More in who can sign a CUSMA certification of origin.

Step 2: Gather the information for the nine data elements

Annex 5-A of CUSMA lists the minimum data elements. In summary:

1. Whether the certifier is the importer, exporter or producer.
2. The certifier’s name, title, address (including country), telephone and email.
3. The exporter’s name, address, email and telephone, if different from the certifier.
4. The producer’s details, or “Various”, or “Available upon request by the importing authorities”.
5. The importer’s name, address, email and telephone, if known.
6. A description of the good and its HS tariff classification to six digits, plus the invoice number for a single shipment, if known.
7. The origin criterion under which the good qualifies.
8. The blanket period, if the certification covers multiple shipments.
9. The authorized signature and date, with the prescribed certification statement.

The Annex has the exact wording, including where each address must be. What to write in each field, with a filled-in sample, is in CUSMA certificate of origin: what goes in each field. (CUSMA Annex 5-A)

Step 3: The origin criterion is the certifier’s call

Element 7 asks the certifier to specify the origin criterion, as set out in Article 4.2 of the agreement. That is not a form-filling step. It depends on the goods, their materials and the product-specific rules, and the person signing takes responsibility for it.

On how to write it, CBSA gives examples: a reference to Article 4.2(a), (b), (c) or (d); duplicating the product-specific rule of origin for the good; or the letter “A”, “B”, “C” or “D”, although it says the first two are preferred. (CBSA)

CBSA publishes Canada’s version of the rules in Memorandum D11-5-17, and says origin advance rulings can be requested under CUSMA (CBSA overview). If you are unsure, a licensed customs broker or trade lawyer is the right person to ask.

Step 4: Put it in a document

Any format works as long as the nine elements are there. The agreement allows the certification to go on an invoice or any other document, and to be completed and submitted electronically with an electronic or digital signature. It can be in English, French or Spanish. One exception: it cannot go on an invoice issued in a country outside the agreement. (CUSMA Article 5.2)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection offers an optional fillable template and says its use is “in no way compulsory” (CBP). CBSA publishes two worked examples of a valid certification (CBSA).

Step 5: Sign and date it

The certifier signs and dates it, and it must carry this statement, word for word:

“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.” (CUSMA Annex 5-A)

Step 6: Get it to the importer before the claim

The importer must have a valid certification in its possession when it claims preferential tariff treatment, and must provide a copy if customs asks. (CUSMA Article 5.4) One certification can cover a single shipment, or multiple shipments of identical goods over a period of up to 12 months. Customs accepts it for four years after it was completed. (CUSMA Article 5.3)

Step 7: Keep the records

The agreement sets a floor of five years for record keeping. CBSA says exporters, producers and importers in Canada who certify origin must keep the certification and related documents for six years. (CUSMA Article 5.8; CBSA D11-4-14; Exporters' and Producers' Records Regulations; Imported Goods Records Regulations)

Sources

• CUSMA Chapter 5 (Origin Procedures) and Annex 5-A — Global Affairs Canada
• Certifying the origin of goods — CBSA
• Memorandum D11-4-14, Certification of Origin Under Free Trade Agreements — CBSA
• Memorandum D11-5-17, CUSMA Rules of Origin — CBSA
• Overview of key changes affecting imports — CBSA
• Certification of Origin Template — U.S. Customs and Border Protection

OriginCert prepares the document. It does not decide whether your goods qualify.

Related guides

• CUSMA certificate of origin: what goes in each field
• Why do you need a certificate of origin?
• Who can sign a CUSMA certification of origin?
• CUSMA vs USMCA certificate of origin