An exporter who issues certificates of origin must always be able to document the origin.
When the exporter buys a product from a Norwegian supplier, the supplier may issue a national supplier's declaration for all fish, etc. which shall be exported abroad and which meets the requirements for originating goods, cf. Section 5-11-5 of the Norwegian Movement of Goods Regulations.
Fish caught outside a contracting party's territorial waters
The declaration can be incorporated into the contract note, catch certificate or any other commercial document. Please note that the nationality requirement regarding the crew and shipmaster can be different in the national legislation and free trade agreements when the product is from fishing and catch outside the territory.
In such cases, the contract note, catch certificate or any other commercial document does not constitute sufficient documentation so that the exporter can issue a certificate of origin. It is the vessel/shipping company that needs to make sure that the national supplier's declaration is issued. What is important is that the declaration is incorporated into a document that accompanies the product all the way to the end buyer and is not just left with the seller.
The rules of origin in the applicable trade agreement continue to apply as before in connection with exports. Exporters are kindly asked to take note of the crew requirements with regard to nationality in the various free trade agreements. Where the information in the contract note/catch certificate regarding the crew is not certain, the exporter must ensure that the requirement in the respective free trade agreement is fulfilled before issuing the certificate of origin.
Fish caught inside a contracting party's territorial waters
Where fish is caught inside the territorial waters, there is no requirement to the shipmaster or crew, etc. In such cases, a contract note or catch certificate without supplier's declaration will be sufficient to meet the exporter's documentation requirement.
Supplier's declaration
The following text must be used:
"The supplier of the products/materials covered by this document declares that, except where otherwise cleary indicated, theses products/materials are of Norwegian preferential origin", or alternatively "...EEA preferential origin".
........
(Place and date)
.............
(Supplier's signature; also printed name of the person signing the declaration)
The supplier's declaration can be incorporated into an invoice, a freight document, other commercial documents or issued on separate stationery. If the declaration is incorporated into documents other than the invoice, a reference must be provided to the relevant deliveries which are covered by the declaration, at the same time as it must be possible to identify the goods.
Exemptions may be granted from signing.