Texas Border Business
Starting on June 1, the McAllen Chamber of Commerce launched its electronic certificate of origin sealing program in benefit of exporting freight forwarding businesses, eCertify.
Chambers of Commerce play a central role in facilitating global trade. Among other things, Chambers provide services that include the issuing of Certificates of Origin (COO) and other supporting documents for exporters.
The McAllen Chamber of Commerce has been offering the service of sealing certificates of origin for over 30 years in paper- based form. Certificates of origin are required by customs entities overseas to allow products to be shipped to their countries.
Traditionally, paper-based Certificates of Origin are couriered or mailed to the Chamber of Commerce for certification; a costly, inefficient and time-consuming paper-based process for chambers, exporters and freight forwarders that incurs courier costs, productivity losses, workflow inefficiencies, increased certification turnaround times, and delays/ missed deadlines.
The McAllen Chamber eCertify program will present a complete solution to the challenges that chambers and exporters experience by turning the existing paper-based process for stamping and signing of trade documents into a streamlined electronic system; providing chambers and their members real value in cost savings and efficiency gains.
Among the benefits that exporters and freight forwarders will get from eCertify are: time and money savings, no more couriers needed; faster documentation certification turnaround times, no more missed deadlines; user friendly online web solution and increased compliance and record keeping.
For additional information about electronic certificates of origin please contact Luis Cantu at 682-2871. TBB
