Simplified procedures, serving Belgian exports

Did you know that the FPS Economy and the Federation of Belgian Chambers of Commerce have been working in partnership since 1999? Their common goal is to strengthen the competitiveness of Belgian companies in the global economy. To this end, they are working together to provide uniform, simple and digital procedures throughout Belgium. To this end, the issuing of certificates of origin (CO) has been the subject of thorough efforts.

A faster deliverance for certificates of origin

Certificates of origin are issued by the Chambers, under the regular supervision of the FPS Economy. A certificate of origin is a document that proves the nationality of your product, i.e. its country of production. It is an essential document for many exporting companies as it may be required by the customs authorities of third countries when importing goods. In the context of documentary credits, this document is necessary to obtain payment for the shipment. To make things easier for Belgian exporters, our simplification efforts have focused on the presentation of the evidence and the application procedure itself.

Providing evidence with ease through a registered file

The most common simplified procedure is the dossier déposé. Indeed, the time required to collect the necessary evidence to obtain a CO can be a challenge for many companies. Why? Well, because of many reasons: their suppliers may be scattered around the world, the number of items exported may be huge, or their contract requires the goods to be processed very quickly. Gathering all the necessary documents to obtain a certificate of origin takes a lot of time and energy, both for the company and for the Chamber of Commerce. And that’s where the registered file comes in.
In order to obtain a registered file, it is first necessary to provide a list of the items likely to be exported at the time. Secondly, the company must demonstrate traceability of origin throughout the supply chain. The Chamber will carry out spot checks to ensure that these documents are available. The company and the Chamber then sign a contract, validated by the FPS Economy. Valid for one year, it allows the company to request certificates of origin without having to present evidence.

Printing your certificates the way you want it

Before 2009, you had to go to a Chamber of Commerce to apply for a certificate of origin. Fortunately, with the launch of DigiChambers, our online platform, this process has been digitised. However, there was one last element complicating life for companies, as certificate of origin could only be placed on a pre-printed template. For some years now, companies have been able to choose to print on a blank sheet of paper, provided that they follow a few rules relating to the paper format and the ink used. This option has proved very useful during the Covid-19 crisis.
If you are interested in these services, don’t hesitate to contact your Chamber of Commerce and to set up a simplified procedure in your company!

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