WiseTech secures nod to digitise export origin papers

WiseTech Global has gained accreditation to issue Preferential Certificates of Origin for Australian exports through a digital process that can return certificates within minutes.

The accreditation, from the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand, allows WiseTech to issue both Preferential and Non-Preferential Certificates of Origin for Australia through a system that offers round-the-clock application processing and data checks.

Trade paperwork

A Certificate of Origin is an international trade document that states where a product was grown, produced or manufactured. Importing countries use it for customs clearance. Preferential Certificates of Origin apply when an exporter seeks benefits available under a preferential trade arrangement, such as a free trade agreement, including lower tariffs in the destination country.

Australia has 18 trade agreements covering more than 20 countries. Demand for Preferential Certificates of Origin is linked to export volumes and the number of shipments that qualify under each agreement. WiseTech estimates that hundreds of thousands of Preferential Certificates of Origin are generated each year for Australian goods.

Speed and accuracy are increasingly important for exporters and freight intermediaries managing documentation across time zones. Delays can be costly for time-sensitive goods and may trigger penalties if shipments miss departure windows or arrive without the correct documentation.

How it works

WiseTech's model integrates its certification platform with CargoWise, its logistics execution software. The system validates data submitted in a Certificate of Origin application against shipment information already held in CargoWise.

It checks details such as the shipper, shipment and consignee, confirms the correct free trade agreement has been selected, and verifies that the relevant Harmonized System code has been applied.

Repeat applications can be processed faster when a submission uses the same approved details as an earlier certificate. In those cases, the system performs immediate validation.

WiseTech says this model reduces rejection rates compared with manual or semi-digital processes and shortens turnaround times. Other services can take hours or days, particularly when checks require back-and-forth communication and supporting evidence.

Certificates of Origin have traditionally been issued through industry bodies such as chambers of commerce, many of which offer online application portals. WiseTech is positioning its approach around automated validation tied to operational shipment data, rather than stand-alone form submissions.

Access channels

Exporters and logistics providers can submit applications within CargoWise. Applications can also be lodged through WiseTech-owned global trade management systems BSM Global and ImpexDocs. All three are digitally integrated with WiseTech's certification platform.

For freight forwarders and customs specialists, that integration keeps shipping documents in the same environment as booking, consolidation and compliance tasks. It also reflects a broader trend in trade compliance software towards embedding documentation in operational workflows rather than treating it as a separate administrative step.

Regional context

WiseTech has already been certified to issue Preferential Certificates of Origin for New Zealand, receiving that certification in December 2024. The New Zealand Customs Service has also contracted the company to digitise the country's tariff system.

The Australian accreditation extends this work into a larger export market and places WiseTech directly in the documentation chain used to claim free trade agreement benefits. It also expands the company's role in regulated processes linked to customs and border compliance.

Michael Kheirabi, Digital Documents Portfolio Leader at WiseTech Global, said the accreditation supports a broader push towards automation across parties involved in cross-border trade.

"Given Australia has 18 agreements, with over 20 countries, and is seeking to negotiate and implement more, the demand for Preferential Certificates of Origin to take advantage of these free trade agreements is already high and likely to increase. As part of the operating system for global trade and logistics, CargoWise's customs and compliance suite already helps freight forwarders manage their customs obligations. This puts us in a unique position to digitally connect different parts of international trade - including exporters, freight forwarders and regulatory bodies - to enable greater automation, reduce manual intervention and provide 24/7 accessibility."

Kheirabi contrasted WiseTech's automated checks with typical market practices, linking the value of speed to real-world shipping constraints.

"The Australian and New Zealand governments are very progressive in the way that they have engaged industry partners like WiseTech to drive better and deeper digitalization of customs documentation and processes. Certificates of Origin are often issued by Chambers of Commerce and while they offer online applications, they don't have the ability to automatically access and validate data in the context of executing the movement of goods the way our solution does. Speed is essential when you're dealing with perishable cargo or need to avoid fines for late departures. WiseTech's new COO solution uses digital documents with automated data validation and document ingestion to disrupt the industry norm, improving the speed and efficiency for an Australian exporter to obtain a Certificate of Origin," he said.

WiseTech plans to build on the Australian accreditation by expanding digitised customs-related processes and connecting more documentation workflows into CargoWise and its related trade management systems.