Electronic service for Certificates of Origin (CO) was introduced in August 1999. Traders can make use of the electronic service to lodge fresh applications, re-submission, amendment requests and cancellation requests to the Trade and Industry Department (TID) and the five Government Approved Certification Organizations (GACOs).
The electronic service covers all CO, namely the Certificate of Hong Kong Origin, Certificate of Hong Kong Origin - CEPA, Certificate of Hong Kong Origin - New Zealand, Certificate of Hong Kong Origin - Georgia, Certificate of Hong Kong Origin - Form AHK and Certificate of Origin - Processing.
Traders who wish to use electronic service for submission of CO applications should first register with either Brio Electronic Commerce Limited (Brio), Global e-Trading Services Limited (Ge-TS) or Tradelink Electronic Commerce Limited (Tradelink). Traders may call the hotlines of Brio at 2111 1288, Ge-TS at 8201 0082 and/or Tradelink at 2599 1700 for more information.
After registration, traders can make use of the customer software/log in designated website provided by Brio/Ge-TS/Tradelink to prepare CO applications/requests through traders' office computers in the form of electronic messages via Brio/Ge-TS/Tradelink to TID or GACOs (for CO applications lodged with GACOs) for processing.
At Brio, Ge-TS and Tradelink, computer validation, matching and archiving functions are performed. TID or the GACOs will process the applications and send an approval, deferment, or rejection message to the traders concerned via these companies.
Upon receipt of the CO approval message, the exporter can make use of the customer software/website function to print the corresponding "CO Collection Slip", apply its company chop on it, and bring the slip to collect the CO from TID or GACOs1.
For electronic CO applications deferred due to incorrect or insufficient information, traders can re-lodge the applications to the issuing authority concerned after making necessary amendments.
If, for some reasons, the exporter, manufacturer or subcontractor, is not registered with Brio, Ge-TS or Tradelink for electronic submission of CO applications, they can lodge the CO applications/requests via the Electronic Trading Access Service (ETAS) centres of Brio, Ge-TS or Tradelink, which provide the service of data input and generation of electronic messages.
Exporter using the above service is required to apply its company chop on the collection slip issued by Brio, Ge-TS or Tradelink, and bring the slip to collect the CO from TID or GACOs. For Certificate of Hong Kong Origin – Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement ["CO(CEPA)"], the ETAS centres will issue the hardcopy/softcopy of the Print-out of CO(CEPA) to the exporter. The exporter is not required to collect the certificate from TID or GACOs. As for Certificate of Hong Kong Origin (CHKO) and Certificate of Origin - Processing (COP) opting for issuance of CHKO/COP in electronic file format, TID and GACOs will issue the certificate in Portable Document Format (PDF) under separate arrangements with the ETAS centres of Brio, Ge-TS or Tradelink.
For more information on ETAS centres and their office hours:
Press here for Brio Electronic Commerce Limited.
Press here for Global e-Trading Services Limited.
Press here for Tradelink Electronic Commerce Limited.