What is a Certificate of Origin in green coffee?

A Certificate of Origin (CO or COO) is an official document issued by an approved certifying authority in the exporting country, confirming that the coffee was grown and produced in that country. It is one of the primary documents required by customs authorities to clear an import shipment and is a mandatory part of the green coffee export chain.

For the UK, Certificates of Origin for coffee are used to establish the country of origin for customs duty purposes. Different trade agreements and preferential tariff arrangements may apply depending on where the coffee comes from - the preferential duty rate for coffee from an ACP (African, Caribbean, and Pacific) country under the UK's trade agreements may differ from the standard rate for coffee from other origins. The CO is what proves the coffee qualifies.

In specialty coffee, the Certificate of Origin also serves a traceability function - confirming provenance as the coffee moves through international trade. For buyers purchasing direct or near-direct from producing countries, the CO is part of the documentation chain that verifies the coffee is what it claims to be. In practice, most roasters buying from UK importers never see the CO directly - the importer handles it - but understanding what it is and why it exists helps make sense of the import process.