Jordan Certificate of Origin Legalization

Certificates of Origin and the U.S.–Jordan Free Trade Agreement

Jordan was the first Arab country to sign a free trade agreement with the United States, and qualifying U.S. goods now enter Jordan free of customs duty. Whether a shipment gets that treatment depends on its origin, which is why Jordanian importers care so much about the certificate of origin. For Jordan, the certificate is signed and notarized, certified by the Arab American Chamber of Commerce and, when the buyer requires it, legalized by the Embassy of Jordan.

Qualifying for FTA treatment

Under the agreement’s rules of origin, goods generally qualify if they are wholly obtained or produced in the United States, or if they are new or different articles produced in the U.S. with at least a minimum share of their value, broadly 35 percent, added in the U.S. or Jordan, and are imported directly. Simple operations like repacking or diluting do not confer origin. It is the Jordanian importer who claims the preference with Jordan Customs, and customs may ask for evidence; a chamber-certified certificate of origin is the most common supporting document. Check the current rules and any specific wording your importer needs before shipping.

Goods that do not qualify

Products that do not meet the FTA rules, including many re-exports of foreign-made goods, still need an accurate certificate of origin showing their true origin. Jordanian customs uses origin for statistics, import controls and, for non-FTA goods, the applicable tariff. Claiming U.S. origin for goods made elsewhere can lead to penalties for the importer and problems for future shipments.

Preparing the certificate

Complete the certificate on the standard form or company letterhead, describe the goods exactly as on the commercial invoice, with HS codes, quantities and the Jordanian consignee, sign it with a clearly legible name, and have the signature notarized. Digital certificates can be uploaded for processing instead of mailed.

Chamber, embassy and fees

We certify certificates of origin the same business day we receive them. Where embassy legalization is needed, we register and pay the request on the Jordan MFA e-portal and submit the originals with the extra copies required; the embassy charges according to the value of the related invoice, shown in the table, and takes about five working days. If your buyer only needs the chamber certification, the chamber-stamp-only option is faster and cheaper. Jordan does not accept apostilles.