Digital certificates of origin are accepted worldwide

Christian Eybye

Marketing employee

Save time and money when you create your certificates of origin digitally

When you make your certificates of origin (CoOs) physically, you have to wait a long time for them to be approved and returned to you. When you make them digitally, you have the finished certificate within 1 hour – every time. And don’t worry, the digital certificates are accepted in all your recipient countries.

The International Chamber of Commerce, ICC,

would like companies to create digital certificates of origin because they save companies a lot of time and resources:

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"Digital CoO services, already offered by many chambers around the world, greatly contribute to a secure trading environment, help save time and costs, and increase transparency"
ABOUT ICC

ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) is the parent organization for the world’s chambers of commerce. The Danish chambers of commerce thus work under the ICC and the rules established by the international chamber of commerce.

ICC represents millions of companies worldwide, and its function, among other things, is to support international trade. It is an interest organization, which is there to make everyday life easier for its members. In recent years, it has been working hard to convince its members to use digital CoOs. It is in the companies’ best interest to digitize their exports.

Your customers accept digital certificates of origin

Some companies are not aware that it is possible to have the certificates digitally, and some are afraid that the digital CoOs will not be accepted by their customers. The ICC and we are ready to remove any doubts that may exist: the Digital Certificate of Origin has been around for quite a few years and is accepted worldwide.

Denmark ranks high on the list of digital nations, and the use of digital certificates increases every month. The Netherlands is at the very top of the digitization list, and they are a good benchmark for the direction the export industry is heading to. The Netherlands only uses digital certificates of origin and no longer accepts physical alternatives. The ICC also uses the Netherlands in their promotion of digital certificates of origin:

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"In the Netherlands, for example, over 2 million digital certificates of origin have been issued, without problems, to recipient countries worldwide"

Fortunately, Denmark is not that far behind the Netherlands in the field of digitalisation. A large part of the certificates of origin in Denmark are already issued digitally, and the number is constantly increasing. There are many advantages to using digital certificates of origin, and on the other hand, there is no argument for using the physical alternative.

Easier and more secure than the physical version

There are generally two major reasons for creating digital certificates of origin: time and security.

When you create a digital certificate of origin, you have the finished certificate, approved and stamped, within 1 hour. In comparison, it often takes a full day, and sometimes more, to get a physical certificate. Furthermore, the digital certificate does not have to be shipped, as it is sent electronically to the chamber of commerce, which applies a digital stamp. Thus, a lot of time and money is saved.

The digital certificate of origin is equipped with three security measures to ensure that the certificate cannot be counterfeited. Each digital CoO has a unique QR code, an optical watermark and a digital stamp. In addition to these security measures, ICC has also developed a digital system which is used to verify the digital certificates. Every time a chamber of commerce issues a digital certificate of origin, it is registered in the ICC’s system. The system can be accessed by chambers of commerce and other authorities, which can quickly verify a digital certificate.

Therefore, security cannot be an argument for not switching to digital certificates. On the contrary, safety should be one of the strongest arguments for switching.

The Danish Chambers of Commerce already issue them

You are maybe thinking that it is difficult to get started with creating digital certificates of origin. The truth is, however, that it is incredibly easy to get the certificates issued digitally. Once you’ve filled out the certificate, it’s actually just a click.

We have developed a digital platform that makes it possible to issue digital CoOs. We have a cooperation agreement with the Danish Chambers of Commerce, so that their members can use the platform and have the certificates issued digitally.

If you are a customer of a chamber of commerce, you probably already fill out your certificates of origin on the digital platform. If so, it actually just requires you to click “digital” when selecting the issue format. This way, you will receive the completed certificate digitally.

If you are not connected to a chamber of commerce, you can create your digital CoOs directly on our platform. The platform follows all ICC guidelines, and you can also create all your other certificates there.

5 good reasons to switch to digital

Here are just 5 concrete arguments that you can take to your boss/employee when you have to explain why you should start creatong digital certificates of origin:

  1. You save a lot of time: when you make your certificate of origin digitally, you have it within 1 hour.
  2. It’s more secure: There are a lot of security measures that mean your certificates are always protected and cannot be counterfeited.
  3. You save money on shipping: When you make your CoOs digitally, you don’t have to ship them to the chamber of commerce, as they are approved digitally.
  4. You can share the digital certificate with your customers: Each certificate has a unique attachment link that you can send to your customer (e.g. via email). Thus, they can see the certificate as soon as it is approved.
  5. Digital certificates are a greener solution: You don’t have to store a lot of certificate paper, and you also cut down on your general paper consumption when you make digital certificates.

2 customers share their experience with the switch to digital

Want to read what other companies have to say about the switch to digital certificates of origin? Below you will find two customer cases with focus on the transition from physical to digital certificates of origin:

Read more about ICC and digital CoOs

Want to learn more on the ICC and their arguments for switching to digital certificates of origin? We have created an in-depth article that focuses on the ICC’s position on digital certificates of origin. Read the article here.

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Christian conveys content so that it can be understood.

Christian Eybye

Marketing employee

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