Certificates of Origin for Parts Made in Vietnam
A certificate of origin states where goods were made. That sounds administrative until you notice that, depending on your country and the trade agreement in force, the right form can change the duty rate you pay and the wrong one can mean you pay full rate on a shipment that qualified for less.
It is also the document most often remembered too late, because it has to be applied for against the export declaration. Once that declaration has closed, your options narrow.
Preferential versus non preferential
Two different things share the same name.
Non preferential. A plain statement of origin. It does not reduce duty. It exists because your customs authority, your bank under a letter of credit or your own compliance team asked for proof of where the goods came from. In Vietnam this is generally Form B.
Preferential. Issued under a specific trade agreement, and it is what actually lowers the duty rate, provided your country has an agreement with Vietnam and your part meets the rules of origin in it. The form depends on the agreement.
If your country has no trade agreement with Vietnam, there is no preferential form to ask for. The United States is the common example: US importers of Vietnamese goods pay the normal applicable rate, and Form B is requested when a broker or a bank wants documentary proof of origin rather than because it saves money.
Which form goes with which destination
| Destination | Agreement | Form usually used |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | EVFTA | EUR.1, or an invoice declaration below the value threshold |
| United Kingdom | UKVFTA | Form UKV, or an invoice declaration below the threshold |
| Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and other members | CPTPP | Form CPTPP |
| Japan, alternative routes | VJEPA or AJCEP | Form VJ or Form AJ |
| South Korea | VKFTA or AKFTA | Form VK or Form AK |
| ASEAN countries | ATIGA | Form D |
| China | ACFTA | Form E |
| RCEP members | RCEP | Form RCEP |
| United States and other markets with no agreement | None | Form B, non preferential |
Where two routes exist, for example Japan under both CPTPP and VJEPA, the right one is whichever gives the better rate for your specific product code. Your customs broker decides that, not your supplier.
The EU threshold that catches people
Under EVFTA there are two ways to prove origin on a shipment from Vietnam, and which one applies depends on value:
- Above the threshold, currently EUR 6,000 per consignment, the exporter must obtain a EUR.1 movement certificate issued by the competent authority in Vietnam.
- At or below the threshold, the exporter can make an origin declaration on the commercial invoice instead, with no separate certificate.
Machined parts orders straddle this line constantly. A 40 piece trial order sits below it, the 400 piece production order sits above it, and the paperwork changes without anyone mentioning it. Ask which route the exporter is using on each shipment rather than assuming the first one carries over.
Who issues it in Vietnam
The issuing arrangements changed recently. Certificate of origin issuance was consolidated under the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2025, moving several schemes away from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which had previously been delegated to issue certain forms and to handle registrations under some GSP schemes.
The practical consequence for a buyer is narrow but real: do not rely on instructions written before 2025, and ask the exporter to confirm which body issues the form for your destination on the current shipment. Any exporter that ships to your market regularly will know. One that has to find out is telling you something about its export experience.
Rules of origin: the part nobody reads
A certificate is only valid if the goods actually qualify. For machined parts the usual tests are:
- Change of tariff classification. The finished part falls under a different heading from the raw material, which cutting a billet into a machined component generally satisfies.
- Regional value content. A minimum share of the value has to originate in the country or the agreement area.
- Specific process rules. Some product categories have their own rule written into the agreement.
Machining raw bar or plate into a finished component normally qualifies comfortably. Where it gets marginal is when the shop is largely assembling imported components, or when a part is machined from a near net shape casting or forging that was itself imported. If your part fits either description, raise it before production rather than at the border.
What to put in the purchase order
One paragraph solves most of it:
Supplier to obtain and provide [form name] certificate of origin for this shipment. Certificate to be applied for before export and a scanned copy sent to the buyer before the vessel departs. Original to travel with the shipping documents.
Two details matter in that wording. Before export, because the application is tied to the declaration. And a scan before departure, because it gives you a week or more to spot an error on the consignee, the description or the quantity while it can still be corrected.
Errors that cost the saving
- Consignee name that does not match the importer of record
- Goods description that does not match the commercial invoice
- HS code that differs between the invoice, the certificate and your broker’s entry
- Quantity or weight mismatched against the packing list
- Missing signature or stamp
- Wrong form for the destination, usually a Form B where a preferential form was available
Every one of these is a five minute fix before shipment and a multi week problem afterwards. This is why the scan before departure is worth insisting on.
The short version
Decide which form your destination needs before you place the order, write it into the purchase order, ask for a scanned copy before the goods leave and check the four fields above against the invoice. That is the whole discipline, and it is the difference between a duty saving you planned for and one you read about afterwards.
The rest of the document set is covered in the guide to importing machined parts from Vietnam. When you are ready to quote a part, send the drawing and tell us which market it is going to, so the shops quoting know which documents to include.
This post is part of our guide to import duty on machined parts from Vietnam, which shows where the form fits in the claim.
See also: the full list of Vietnam certificate of origin forms, with the issuing bodies after the 2025 and 2026 changes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a certificate of origin after the goods have shipped?
Sometimes, as a retrospective issue, and sometimes not at all. It depends on the form, the scheme and how long ago the export declaration closed. Treat it as a document that must be arranged before shipment, and put it in the purchase order rather than in a later email.
Does a certificate of origin prove quality?
No. It states where goods were made for customs purposes. It says nothing about who made them or how well. Quality evidence is a separate set of documents entirely.
Who pays for it?
Normally the exporter applies and passes on the cost, which is small. The expensive part is never the fee. It is the duty you pay at full rate on a shipment that arrived without the right form.
Need a quote for a part like this?
Send the drawing. We shortlist up to 3 machine shops in Vietnam, manage the order if you want us to and reply within 24 business hours.
Send my RFQ