Origin Declaration / Certificate of Origin

We make the occasional sale of bespoke-made soft-furnishing products to retail customers in the EU. These are made in the UK and mostly use UK-manufactured fabric. Up to now, the retail customers have just paid the 10% import duty on these goods, even though we have stated that the country of origin is the United Kingdom. I have looked into purchasing a Certificate of Origin from a Chamber of Commerce but this is costing about £70 per certificate (or order). Which in most cases is not financially worth it. Are there alternatives things we can do that will enable our customers to avoid paying the import duty when it arrives in the EU? Templates or examples would be greatly appreciated. I have read about Origin Declarations being a possible solution. Thanks in advance.

Hi On leaving the EU the UK concluded a free trade deal for goods meeting the specific origin criteria and supported by a statement of preferential origin. There are specific manufacturing requirements for textile goods so you first need to check that your goods actually qualify and you hold adequate evidence if this. The rules are set out for each hs code. Not all goods made in the UK will necessarily meet the origin criteria. To get an understanding you should read this guidance. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/introduction-to-rules-of-origin-and-claiming-duties-when-trading-between-the-uk-and-eu You can also find the information on specific goods in the uk tariff schedule. https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff Once you have established your goods qualify you must put a specifically worded statement on your commercial documents. This is the only acceptable proof of origin under the UK - EU trade agreement. Unfortunately some of these rules can be complicated to understand so you do need to read up on the subject so you can provide your customers with the correct documentation. A certificate of origin from the Chamber of Commerce is for non preferential origin only and will have no impact on receiving a zero duty rate of duty on entry to the EU.