Korea Customs Service, 24-Hour Automatic Issuance of 'Certificate of Origin' for Export-Import Companies

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Korea Customs Service will automatically issue certificates of origin for domestic export-import companies 24 hours a day without document review. This is an additional support measure for companies affected by the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

According to the Korea Customs Service on the 8th, this measure was implemented reflecting the difficulties faced by parts suppliers working from home due to COVID-19 in preparing supporting documents.

Accordingly, export companies certified for origin by the Customs Service and Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) SMS customs that apply for certificates of origin will be able to receive the certificates automatically 24 hours a day, completely skipping the document review previously conducted by customs.

Additionally, when export companies need to correct already issued certificates of origin, the existing procedure requiring submission of the original document returned from overseas importers to customs has been relaxed. Companies can now submit a copy first to receive the corrected certificate of origin and must submit the original certificate within three months from the correction date.

Furthermore, customs will stop visiting manufacturers for origin verification purposes when export companies apply for certificates of origin.

These Free Trade Agreement (FTA) customs support measures will be operated temporarily in response to the spread of COVID-19.

The Korea Customs Service expects that by rapidly issuing certificates of origin through these measures, domestic export-import companies struggling due to COVID-19 will be able to better utilize FTAs.

Meanwhile, the Korea Customs Service currently operates a ‘COVID-19 Customs Difficulty Support Center’ at customs offices in Seoul, Incheon, and other locations.

The support center assists companies facing disruptions in supply or export of raw materials and parts due to overseas factory closures and provides rapid customs clearance and tax support for affected companies.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.