We would like to update you on the upcoming change to UK Certificate of Origin (COO) printing, which we previously informed you about in March 2023. This change will be implemented in early September. If you previously purchased an UK Certificate of Origin document from us, you should have received an email from us with the below information.

We are currently waiting for confirmation of the exact date, and we will keep you informed as soon as we receive it. Starting from that date, all applications for COO will need to be made through our online platform, Ess Cert, for which you have already been encouraged to sign up. This new process will eliminate the need for a Blank Certificate of Origin, and you will be able to print directly onto plain paper. If you haven't already signed up for London's Ess Cert, you can register here.

From the selected date in September, pre-printed UK COO Blank Certificates will no longer be required. You can return any unused blank forms to us and receive credit on your account for future applications. Please ensure that you return these certificates to us no later than 13 October. Details on how to return the certificates will be included in the communications sent out within the next few days.

With this update, our online portal will generate the Certificate of Origin number for your future applications, and the UK Certificate of Origin prefix for all London Issued Certificates of Origin will change from "BP" followed by seven digits to "IA" followed by seven digits.

This change is part of a project set by the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) to move towards the digitisation of Trade Documents. We strongly encourage you to either pass this document to your buyer for in-house printing or print it in-house yourself to improve the efficiency of your supply chain process. However, please check with your buyer if a wet signature is required.

If a wet signature from the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is necessary, we will still be available to print and wet stamp the document for you. Additionally, if legalisation is required by an importer, bank, or destination country customs authority, we can assist with that as well. However, please note that we will impose a "Chamber Printed Fee" of £5.10 (including VAT) for any documentation that needs to be printed in-house. The fee details can be found in our price list.

We have carefully considered the impact of this change and believe it will simplify the printing of Certificates of Origin, supporting the improvement of your internal efficiencies. It is worth noting that the UK will be the 13th country in the world to adopt this style of printing, and there have been no reports of any issues at borders with customs authorities related to this type of printing. Most Chambers across the UK have already made this switch to plain paper printing and have not encountered any issues from their perspectives either.

Certificates of Origin printed via the online platform will have additional security features, including a QR code, which allows anyone with the Certificate of Origin to scan and verify its authenticity. The Certificate of Origin can also be verified via the ICC verification website.

Please note that we are still awaiting feedback from the Arab Chamber of Commerce regarding a change in Arab Certificates of Origin and HMRC regarding EUR 1 Certificates. For now, it remains business as usual for these two types of documentation.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at LCCI. You can contact us via phone on +44 (0)20 7248 4444 or email. We are here to offer any guidance or support you might need for this change.

We value your feedback and want to ensure a smooth transition for all our valued customers.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.