G/RO/LDC/N/CHE/1  
 
27 June 2017  
(17-3393)  Page: 1/4 
Committee on Rules of Origin  Original: English  
 
 NOTIFICATION OF PREF ERENTIAL RULES OF OR IGIN FOR  
LEAST DEVELOPED COUN TRIES  
SWITZERLAND  
The following communication, dated 23 June 2017, is being circulated at the reque st of the 
delegation of Switzerland . 
_______________  
 
Paragraph 4.3 of the 2015 Ministe rial Decision on preferential rules of origin for least developed 
countries (WT/L/917/Add.1) requires preference -granting Members  to notify preferential rules o f 
origin as per the established procedures1. In addition, as mandated by the Ministerial Decisio n, the 
Committee on Rules of Origin agreed, at its meeting of 2 March 2017, to a template  for such 
notifications (G/RO/84 ). 
 
Following such requirements, the following notification has been received from : Switzerland . 
 
A. BASIC INFORMATION  
 
1)  Notifying memb er Switzerland  
2)  Date of entering into force of Rules 
of origin and any substantive  
modification thereof  Entry into force on 1 May 2011, last important amendment on 
1 January 2017:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110090/index.html . 
3)  Date of expiration of Rules of origin 
if applicable  No expiration date.  
4)  Title of the preferential scheme for 
which legislation on Rules of origin 
is applicable  The Swiss Generalized System of Preferences . 
5)  Authority(ies) granting the 
preferential treatment  Federal Customs Administration of Switzerland(FCA):  
https://www.ezv.admin.ch/ezv/de/home/dokumentation/recht
sgrundlagen/freihandelsabkommen --entwicklungslaender --
aps-gps-.html. 
6)  National authorities in charge of 
Rules of origin administration  State Secretariat for Economic Af fairs SECO: Trade Promotion 
Division ( Raphael.jenny@seco.admin.ch ). 
Federal Customs Administration (FCA): Section Free Trade - 
and Customs Agreements ( meinrad.mueller@ ezv.admin.ch ). 
 
B. INFORMATION ON RULES OF ORIGIN  
I.  BENEFICIARIES  
1)  List of Beneficiaries  https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -
compilation/20061738/index.ht ml#app1 . 
2)  Eligibility  https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -
compilation/20061738/index.html . 
                                                
1 The relevant notification requirements are contained in Paragraph 2(d) of Annex 1 of the Transparency 
Mechanism for Pref erential Trade Arrangements (WT/L/806) and in Paragraph 4 of Annex II of the Agreement 
on Rules of Origin.  G/RO/LDC/N/CHE/1  
 
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  II.  CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING SUBSTANTIAL TRANSFORMATION  
1)  General  criteria, if applicable for all 
products   
 For products of Chapters 1 -24 not mentioned in Annex 1 to 
Ordinance SR 946.39:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110 090/ the list rule is the change of tariff 
heading (4 -digits) according to remark 2.1 to this annex . 
 (a) Definition of wholly obtained 
products  Article 5 of Ordinance SR 946.39:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110090/ . 
 (b)  Describe the criteria for not -
wholly produced products  Article 6 of Ordinance SR 946.39:   
https://www.admi n.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110090/ . 
 (c)  Insert the formula for 
calculating ad valorem  
percentage  None.  
2)  Product specific rules of origin, where applicable  
 (a)  Insert  the link where the 
complete list of product 
specific rules of origin  can be 
found.  Annex 1 to Ordinance SR 946.39:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110090/ . 
 (b)  Insert the formula for 
calculating ad valorem  
percentage, whe n applied for 
product specific rule  100% divided (%) with the ex -works price of product to be 
exported times (x) the total value of the non -originating 
materials used in the productio n of the product to be 
exported.  
3) Definition of non -originating 
materi al and originating material, 
if any  Article 5 and 6 of Ordinance SR 946.39:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110090/ . 
4) List of insufficient working 
process, if any  Article 7 of Ordinance SR 946.39:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110090/ . 
5) Rules for application of cumulation 
and related procedures if any  Articles 4 and 13ff of Ordinance SR 946.39:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110090/ . 
6) Any other information that member 
deems necessary  No. 
 
III.   DOCU MENTARY REQUIREMENTS  
1)  Certificate of origin and other proofs 
of origin  Article 21 of Ordinance SR 946.39:   
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110090/ . 
 (a)  Requirement for certificate of 
origin and/or any other proof 
of origin, if any  Article 21 ff of Ordinance SR 946.39:   
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110090 /. 
 (b)  Authority to be designated 
for issuance of certificate of 
origin  For Switzerland, the competence for issuing replacement 
certificates of origin Form A is exclusively within the Federal 
Customs Administration: Article 6 of Ordinance SR 946.32:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20120226/index.html . 
The authorities in developing countries accepted by 
Switzerland as issuing bodies of certificates  of origin Form A 
are listed under:  
https://www.ezv.admin.ch/ezv/de/home/information -
firmen/befreiungen --verguenstigungen --zollpraeferenzen -und-
ausfuhrbeitr/einfuhr -in-die-schweiz/entwicklungslaender -aps-
gsp--generalized -system -of-preferences -/visumsstelle n-fuer-
form-a.html . G/RO/LDC/N/CHE/1  
 
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   (c)  Prescribed form of Certificate 
of origin and/or any other 
proof of origin  Annexes 2, 3 and 4 of Ordinance SR 946.39:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/class ified-
compilation/20110090/ . 
 (d)  Any other procedures applied 
for certificate of origin 
and/or any other proof of 
origin, if any  None.  
2)  Direct shipment  
 (a)  Rules applicable for direct 
shipment, if any  Article 19 of Ordinance SR 946.39:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110090/ . 
 (b)  Documentary requirement for 
proof of direct shipment 
including when the transport 
of consignment involves 
transit thr ough one or more 
intermediate countries, if any  Article 19 paragraph 5 of Ordinance SR 946.39:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110090/ . 
 
IV.  VERIFICATION AND PENALTIES  
1)  Procedure for verification of proofs 
of origin  Article 39ff of Ordinance SR 946.39:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110090/ . 
2)  Penaltie s for fraud and false 
declarations  For import into Switzerland:  
- Article 6ff of Ordinance SR 313.0:  
 https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/19740066/index. html. 
- Article 117ff of Ordinance SR 631.0:  
 https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20030370/index.html . 
For export or re -export from Switzerland:  
- Article 19 of Ordinance SR 946.32:  
 https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20120226/index.html . 
3)  Authorities and procedures for 
appeal in the case of dispu te on 
verification  Indicated at the end of every respective decision by customs 
or court . 
4) Requirement for preserving the 
documents related to issuance of 
certificate of origin  Article 46 of ordinance SR 946.39:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -
compilation/20110090/ . 
Article 5 of ordinance SR 946.32:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classi fied-
compilation/20120226/index.html . 
5) Any other relevant information  None.  
 G/RO/LDC/N/CHE/1  
 
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  V.  REFERENCE TEXTS  
(a) The legislative texts in one of the 
official WTO languages containing 
the preferential rules of origin 
applicable under a PTA granted 
under the Decis ion on Measures in 
Favour of Least -Developed 
Countries (Annex F of the Hong 
Kong Ministerial Declaration)  General Preferential Tariff and Least Developed Tariff Rules of 
Origin Regulations  
http://laws -lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/SOR -2013-165.pdf . 
 
(b) The full text of the administrative 
regulations concerning modalities 
for issuance, acceptance, 
retrospective issuance and 
replacement of certificates of 
origin or any equivalent 
declarations to b e made, including 
any requirements  related to 
stamps to be used along with 
notification of stamps  - Proof of Origin of Imported Goods Regulations:  http://laws -
lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/SOR -98-52.pdf; 
- Temporary Storage Period Regulations:  http://laws -
lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/SOR -88-79.pdf ; 
- Customs Tariff (see sections 17 & 18 - Direct Shipment):  
http://laws -lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/C -54.011.pdf ; and 
- Haiti Deemed Direct Shipment (General Preferential Tariff 
and Least Developed Country Tariff) Regulations 
(SOR/2010 -58):  http://laws -lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/SOR -
2010-58.pdf . (c) The full text and related 
administrative regulations of the 
modalities for the proof of 
movement of the consignment of 
the goods from the beneficiary 
countries to preference -givin g 
countries including transit through 
third countries  
(d) The full texts of the modalities of 
the verification procedures and 
related penalties  - Verification of Origin (Non -Free Trade Partners), Tariff 
Classification and Value for Duty of Imported Goods  
Regulations:  http://laws -lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/SOR -98-
45.pdf ; and 
- Determination, Re-determination and Further 
Re-determination of Origin, Tariff Classification and Value for 
Duty Regulat ions:  http://laws -lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/SOR -
98-44.pdf . 
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