Why is The Chamber of Commerce Involved in the Exporting Process?
Have you ever wondered why chambers of commerce are involved in the export process? What exactly do they do for exporters, and why is their involvement so important?
Your local chamber of commerce is a non-profit organization that works to promote and support the local business community. They provide various services and resources to help businesses grow and succeed. Additionally, for over 100 years they have assisted businesses to export their products and services to foreign markets.
Exporting can be a complex and daunting process, especially for small businesses. This is where a chamber of commerce can be a valuable partner for firms looking to expand their international reach. In this article, we'll explore the role of the chamber of commerce in the export process and how the Chamber Export Partnership can help your business navigate the challenges of exporting while eliminating paper processing and courier fees from the process.
How Chambers of Commerce Help Exporters
Chambers of commerce are independently-led organizations that often provide resources & services to businesses looking to export their products internationally. These services can include:
- Export seminars, training & resources
- Trade promotion programs, including events at domestic and international trade shows.
- Contacts with foreign companies and distributors.
- Transportation routing and shipment consolidations.
- Certificates of Origin, Letters of Verification, and other export documentation
As part of that last function, chambers of commerce can help exporters complete their certificates of origin for different goods and materials. This is an important step for businesses to comply with trade regulations as well as fetch the appropriate duty or tariff rate for their exported goods.
Why Use a Chamber of Commerce for Export Documentation
Collecting the proper documentation is a key step in shipping goods internationally. It’s critical to evaluate if your shipment’s destination country has regulations requiring specific documents, such as a Certificate of Origin, and provide these documents to the appropriate officials. Any regulations that restrict certain goods from entry or associated fees with the shipments can vary significantly based on the origin and destination country.
This is why business owners often turn to a local or regional chamber of commerce for export document certification. ICC-registered chambers of commerce can review and stamp certificates of origin to allow businesses to proceed with exports—they manage this process for both members and non-members (though members receive a discount). This allows businesses to quickly process shipments efficiently and reduce logistical concerns for intermediaries or importers.
Chambers must comply with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) guidelines for either paper or electronic certificates. However, many organizations may not be properly certified or may not follow the right steps even if certified, so working with an experienced third party who can guide the process is highly beneficial.
Experience Hassle-Free Export: Let Chamber Export Partnership Handle Your Document Needs
While you may want to interact with your local chamber of commerce directly for networking, publicity, and monitoring legislation that may impact your business, turn to specialized services that can manage administrative and documentation tasks with greater efficiency. Certificates of origin must follow particular procedures and have the correct information so that shippers and importers can quickly process your shipments.
At Chamber Export Partnership, we provide fast and accurate electronic document processing for businesses that want to export products and services.
Get started today to streamline your documentation.