If your company has any customers in Canada or Mexico, or if you have a domestic customer who ships to one of those two countries, you’ve probably been asked for a NAFTA Certificate of Origin. And depending on how much money these Canadian or Mexican customers can save in duties under NAFTA, the requests may be frequent and strongly worded.
Keep in mind, however, that not all products qualify for NAFTA. That includes goods that are manufactured or produced in Canada, Mexico or the United States. Before you can determine whether or not your products qualify for reduced duties under NAFTA, you must fully understand the NAFTA Rules of Origin and which ones apply to your products, know and document the origin of the components of your products, and know and document where your products were finished.
Don’t think this is important? If you provide someone with a NAFTA Certificate of Origin and you can’t provide documentation that your goods qualify, your company—and the person who signed the NAFTA Certificate—are at the mercy of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which can penalize you thousands of dollars per violation. Just ask someone at Ford Motor Company about the multi-million dollar fine they are facing because they couldn’t supply documentation in support of their NAFTA Certificates within the required timeframe.
Don’t take chances with your NAFTA Certificates. International Business Training’s experienced NAFTA consultants can review your current NAFTA procedures, grade your efforts, and recommend any necessary improvements that will help ensure that your company remains in compliance.
NAFTA Compliance CheckupWant an overview of how your NAFTA procedures are working? Our NAFTA Compliance Checkup will survey your company’s international trade personnel, review the results, and prepare a scorecard of your program.
Register for the NAFTA Compliance Checkup and you’ll receive:
- A multi-page questionnaire to be completed by your company that provides a detailed overview of your current NAFTA process.
- A personalized scorecard that grades the various aspects of your company’s current NAFTA procedures prepared by one of our experienced NAFTA consultants.
- A live, two-hour online presentation of the findings with recommendations for improving your NAFTA procedures and an opportunity for you and your colleagues to ask questions of the consultant who prepared your scorecard.
Want More Information? Call IBT at 1-800-641-0929
