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BDC´s Trade Certification & Facilitation Department is the Certifying Authority for Trinidad and Tobago. It is the official body which can decide on whether an item should be granted duty-free or preferential treatment as it is exported from Trinidad and Tobago to countries with which we have signed Trade Agreements.
The Department must be satisfied that the goods in question can qualify in accordance with the Rules of Origin for the relevant Trade Agreement.
The services provided by the Department are as follows:
- Giving advice to exporters on the qualifying conditions for duty free or preferential access of their goods under the various Trade Agreements
- Answering any queries on exporting
- Inspecting the premises of potential exporters to ensure that the manufacturing processes are in accordance with the Rules of Origin
- Processing of export documentation with special emphasis on the Certificate of Origin
- Attending meetings, serving on committees and maintaining good working relationships with trade-related Agencies, both in the private and public sector e.g. Chambers of Commerce, Ministry of Trade & Industry, Trinidad & Tobago Association, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
What is a Certificate of Origin?
This is an export document. It is the document which represents a claim that the goods which are listed, qualify in accordance with the relevant Rules of Origin. Each Trade Agreement would have developed its own Rules of Origin and its corresponding Certificate of Origin.
What is the procedure for the approval of export documents?
For a customer wishing to export for the first time, the procedure is as follows:
- Proceed to the offices of the Certification & Facilitation Department
- Speak with an Officer informing him/her that you wish to export your product, mentioning your preferred destination
- The Officer will advise you as to the likelihood of your product qualifying for duty-free access
- The Officer will present you with an application form, which he/she will assist you in completing
- After the form has been completed, an appointment date is set for the Officer to inspect the premises
- The appointment is kept and the Officer visits your premises
- Sometime after the visit, the Officer will write to you, informing you that your product has qualified and requesting that you submit a list of authorised signatories with their specimen signatures.
For a customer already involved in exporting, the sequence of actions should be as follows:
- Proceed to the offices of the Certification & facilitation Department
- Present your completed export documents and your receipt to the Officer
- The Officer will examine your documents, ensuring that they all have the same correct information and that the signature on the certificate of origin is an authorised one
- The Officer will also examine your receipt to ensure that the correct fee has been pre-paid
- Having been satisfied that everything is in order, the Officer will then affix the relevant stamp and sign the certificate of origin
- The appointment is kept and the Officer visits your premises
What export documents will be required for any one shipment?
The required documents are:
- Certificate of Origin
- Invoice
- C82 Forms
Fees were mentioned earlier. Does the Certification and Facilitation Department charge for its services?
Yes it does. The Schedule of fees is as follows:
Factory visit fees $300.00TT
Fees for approval of export documents to the following countries:
- CARICOM
- $50.00TT for shipments with a value of up to $6,000TT (vat inclusive) per shipment
- $75.00TT for shipments with a value exceeding $6000.00TT(vat inclusive) per shipment
- COLOMBIA $75.00TT per shipment
- COSTA RICA $75.00TT per shipment
- CANADA $75.00TT per shipment
- CUBA $75.00TT per shipment
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC $75.00TT per shipment
- VENEZUELA $75.00TT per shipment
Are these fees payable at the offices of the Certification & Facilitation Department?
No, the fees are not payable at the offices of the Department. They are payable at any branch of First Citizen´s Bank. If you know that you will be shipping regularly, you may pay in advance on a monthly basis. The Certification & Facilitation Department will keep a record of the usage of these funds as you take your shipments in for processing. If your shipments are not that frequent, then you may need to visit the bank before submitting your shipping documents for processing.
Where are the offices of the Trade Certification & Facilitation Department located?
There are two locations, one in Port of Spain and the other in Pt Lisas
