Trade Agreements between various countries allow allotment of imports of a certain quantity of a particular article/commodity from a specified country such as coffee imports into European countries. Some Trade Agreements allow preferential treatment of customs duties if the article/commodity is imported from specific countries, for example, the UK and Commonwealth countries.

For the above purpose, the country of origin of the goods becomes necessary either for assessing the quantity or for customs formalities. In these cases, invariably the contracting Governments are required to specify certifying agencies in their respective countries to issue certificates of origin under Article 11 of the International Convention relating to the simplification of the Customs formalities signed at Geneva in 1923. The Government of India issued in 1958 a list of Chambers of Commerce and Trade Associations in India authorized to issue the certificates of origin and the Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry is one of them.

The Madras Chamber is authorized by the Government of India to issue the Certificates of Origin for goods exported from India. The Chamber issues certificates of origin to members as well as non-members and there is no distinction in the form of the certificate or the method of issue as between members and non-members.

The fee charged for the issue of a certificate is: