USMCA Cert ChaseGuide
USMCA certification of origin form: the nine fields it must have
No official USMCA certification of origin form exists. Here are the nine fields every version must carry, how to read a supplier's form, and what to fix first.
Open the free usmca certification of origin form tool full screen
There is no official USMCA certification of origin form. CBP lists nine minimum data elements, and any document that carries all nine, with the certification statement signed and dated, is a certification. If a supplier sends you its own form, you check its fields against the nine, not against a standard layout.
The tool above does that check for you: paste the text of a certification and it marks each of the nine as present, missing or worth a look. The rest of this guide shows the nine as form fields and how to read a supplier's version quickly. It describes what the document must contain; whether your goods qualify is for your broker or counsel.
What fields does a USMCA certification of origin form need?
Build or read any form with these nine fields:
| Field | What it holds | Common problem |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Certifier type | Importer, exporter or producer | Left unticked |
| 2. Certifier | Name, title, address, phone, email | Missing contact details |
| 3. Exporter | Name, address, phone, email | Blank when the exporter is not the certifier |
| 4. Producer | Same details, or "Various" or "Available upon request" | A different company's name with no explanation |
| 5. Importer | Name, address, phone, email, if known | Wrong legal name |
| 6. Goods | Description and HS classification, six digits or more | Four-digit heading only |
| 7. Origin criterion | A, B, C or D | A sentence instead of a letter |
| 8. Blanket period | From and to dates, up to 12 months | End before start, or longer than a year |
| 9. Signature | Authorized signature and date, with the statement | Signed, not dated |
Why are there so many different forms?
Because the agreement does not prescribe one. Suppliers adapt a customs form, an invoice footer or a template from a broker. A supplier with a hundred customers may send the same file to all of them, and the importer's name appears nowhere on it. That is acceptable if the fields are there, but it means you must read each file rather than trust its layout.
How do you check a supplier's form quickly?
Read the nine in order and mark each as present, missing or needs a look. A reasonable shorthand:
- Present: the field holds what the element asks for.
- Needs a look: something is there but odd, such as an origin criterion written out in words, an HS code with five digits, or a signature with no date.
- Missing: the field is blank or the document has no such field.
Send the supplier exactly the missing and "needs a look" items. Keep the rest. If the form is a scan with no text, you will be reading it by eye.
What does a form look like when the producer is not the supplier?
The supplier may be an exporter or distributor and certify using information from the producer. The producer field then names the producer, or says "Various" or "Available upon request" where those words are allowed. Treat the words as present but note them, since you may need the producer's details later. Whether a particular party may certify or use those words depends on the agreement and your facts, so check with your broker.
What do you do with a form that is almost right?
Do not approve it. A certification counts as valid on file only when every element is present. Ask the supplier for the one fix, with the same link or thread, and keep the original with a note of what was wrong. The original stays in the record, since it shows you asked.
How does USMCA Cert Chase read supplier forms?
USMCA Cert Chase reads a text PDF, Excel or CSV certification, shows the nine elements side by side with the file, and flags what is missing. You correct anything and approve. Word files and scanned PDFs are not read automatically, so you tick each element and type the blanket period yourself. One click sends the supplier a follow-up naming exactly the missing elements, with the same no-login upload link. It checks completeness only: it does not decide origin, does not verify the origin criterion is correct, and is not legal advice.
Use the blank template when a supplier has no form, and read how to collect certifications from every supplier. The free sample shows a full supplier list checked.
Frequently asked questions
Does CBP have a USMCA certification of origin form?
No. CBP's USMCA FAQ lists the minimum data elements, not a form.
Can the certification be in an email or on an invoice?
The format is open if all nine elements and the signed statement are there. Keep the file or a copy of the email as part of the record.
Does the form have to be in English?
Your supplier's language and what CBP may ask for are questions for your broker. USMCA Cert Chase sends its requests in English.
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