FAQs: NAFTA Certificate of Origin

The NAFTA Certificate of Origin (North American Free Trade Agreement) is used by the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada. It determines if goods imported into their countries receive reduced or eliminated duties.

You will need to download a NAFTA Certificate of Origin certificate from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website. The forms are updated periodically, so please check that you have the most current version. Navigate to CBP forms search.

UPS specifically requires certain shipments to be accompanied by a NAFTA Certificate of Origin certificate. The UPS website states that:

The NAFTA Certificate of Origin must be attached to an invoice if the shipment is valued at greater than:

Shipments valued at less than the above amounts do not require a NAFTA Certificate of Origin. Instead, the customer should type the following statement on the shipment's invoice:

"I hereby certify that the good covered by this shipment qualifies as an originating good for purposes of preferential tariff treatment under the NAFTA."

The terms for use of a NAFTA Certificate of Origin changes frequently so it is best to keep an eye on the USTR's NAFTA FAQ page as well as UPS' NAFTA Information.