RD/RO/5* 12 September 2013  
 
 
Committee on Rules of Origin  
UNOFFICIAL ROOM DOCU MENTS  
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NORWAY  
 
The Norwegian non-preferential r ules of origin consist at present of only one secti on in the 
Norwegian Customs Law, section 8 -6.  The section lays down rules for how to determine the origin 
of non -preferential goods:  
- Goods shall be regarded as originating in the country where they are wholly produced, or 
where they underwent th eir last  substantial processing;  
- If two or more countries have participated in the production of goods, the country of origin 
shall be the country where the last substantial and economically justified processing or 
working took place, resulting in the manufactur e of a new product, or representing an 
important stage of the manufacture of a product; and  
- Repacking, sorting, mixing or minor changes shall not be regarded as processing.  
This is thus rather insufficient.  The Norwegian Directorate of Customs and Excis e has for this 
reason made a proposal for regulations concerning the implementation of the non -preferential 
rules of origin pursuant to this section.  The proposal has been on a public hearing, and is at 
present in the Directorate of Customs and Excise for  further consideration.  
The non -preferential rules of origin are not applied much in Norway, except for the issuing of 
Certificates of Origin, mostly for fish. Our western customs regions issue approximately 30,000 
each year.  In 2012, the Chamber of Comm erce in Oslo issued 5,500 Certificates of Origin and all 
the chambers in Norway issued 16,500.  
The rules are used when the importing country requires a national certificate of origin.  Norwegian 
fish exporters and the Chambers of Commerce have informed us that the veterinarian authorities 
in many countries require a national certificate as a proof of the origin of the fish which is 
exported.  For the use of commercial letters of credit a national certificate proving the Norwegian 
origin is always required.  The non -preferential rules are used when national certificates of origin 
are issued to exporters.  In addition these rules are applicable for MFN and for trade remedies.  
In Norway both Customs and the Chambers of Commerce issue Certificates of Origin.  
The customs offices do this free of charge for the exporters, while the Chambers of Commerce 
charge NOK 630 for members and NOK 875, - for non -members, which amounts to approximately 
€78 for Members and €109 for non -members for each Certificate of Origin.  The  exporters have to 
come to the Customs offices to have the certificates issued.  We see the need for electronically 
issued certificates, but for the time being we have no intentions of creating a system for 
electronically issued certificates.  The Norwegia n Chambers of Commerce have informed us that 
several countries don’t accept their electronically issued Certificates.  
                                               
* In English only  RD/RO/5  
 
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  At present the countries treat the same type of cases differently due to their national rules, which 
creates uncertainty and non -transpar ency.  Norway thus sees the importance of having 
harmonized the non -preferential rules of origin, and we fully support the proceeding work.  
 
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