Certificates of origin issued retroactively or retrospectively

Certificate of origin is a generic name, which describes various types of documents used in international trade to verify the origins of the goods.

It is expected that a certificate of origin should be issued prior to the transport document date.

If a certificate of origin issued after the transport document date, such as after bill of lading date, it must be marked with "issued retrospectively" or "issued retroactively" statement.

On one of my previous articles, I have explained the meaning of issued retrospectively on a GSP Form A certificate of origin.

Today I would like to point out the meaning of issued retroactively and issued retrospectively on ordinary certificates of origin.


As certificate of origin may refer to a wide range of document types, we need to know exactly what types of certificates of origin could be issued retroactively or retrospectively.

What does issued retrospectively mean on a GSP Form A certificate of origin?

GSP Form A certificate of origin should be issued on or before date of shipment stated on the transport document. 

If it is issued a later date than the date of shipment, then Form A certificate should bear " issued retrospectively" stamp. 

On my previous articles, I have explained some important points in regards to certificates of origin. 

If you have not read my past posts and you need further information regarding certificates of origin, I recommend you to read my following articles:
Today I want to clarify the meaning of issued retrospectively term on a GSP Form A certificate of origin.