The Department of Commerce (DoC) is the designated authority responsible for issuing Certificates of Origin (COOs) under all Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Schemes, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), and Preferential Trading Agreements (PTAs) to which Sri Lanka is a beneficiary or a Party. Upon the issuance of a Certificate of Origin certifying compliance with the applicable Rules of Origin, Sri Lankan products are eligible to enter partner markets duty-free or at preferential rates of customs duty.
The Department issues Certificates of Origin following a thorough scrutiny of each application to ensure compliance with the relevant Rules of Origin. In most cases, Certificates of Origin are issued within one working day, facilitating the timely completion of export documentation. The Department has introduced an Electronic Certificate of Origin (eCoO) System, which enables exporters to submit Certificate of Origin applications online, thereby improving the efficiency and convenience of the application process while reducing paperwork.
A team of experienced and dedicated officers assigned full-time to the Certificate of Origin Division is available during office hours to provide guidance, technical assistance, and clarifications to exporters and other stakeholders without prior appointments. The Department remains committed to delivering an efficient, transparent, and customer-oriented certification service that facilitates international trade and supports the growth of Sri Lanka's exports.
| Preference | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Share in 2025 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU GSP | 2,402.12 | 2,438.20 | 2,090.93 | 2,106.39 | 2,406.89 | 18.48% |
| Other GSP | 1,914.28 | 1,869.12 | 1,711.30 | 1,882.02 | 1,925.16 | 14.78% |
| ISFTA | 525.85 | 560.11 | 536.06 | 490.22 | 634.34 | 4.87% |
| APTA | 238.61 | 225.16 | 214.17 | 209.78 | 234.23 | 1.80% |
| SAFTA | 101.64 | 72.78 | 92.67 | 168.29 | 100.76 | 0.77% |
| PSFTA | 62.25 | 55.26 | 45.87 | 46.18 | 47.52 | 0.36% |
| GSTP | 91.82 | 63.54 | 79.29 | 70.13 | 35.80 | 0.27% |
| SAPTA | 1.42 | 1.43 | 1.10 | 1.33 | 1.90 | 0.01% |
| SSFTA | 0.06 | 0.62 | 0.17 | 0.15 | 0.15 | 0.00% |
| Without preference | 6,910.95 | 7,457.42 | 6,916.89 | 7,042.54 | 7,640.05 | 58.65% |
| Total exports | 12,248.99 | 12,743.64 | 11,688.43 | 12,017.03 | 13,026.80 | 100.00% |
| Preference | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Share in 2025 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISFTA | 208.94 | 109.28 | 134.93 | 324.78 | 408.89 | 1.91% |
| APTA | 24.22 | 8.09 | 9.38 | 21.16 | 28.56 | 0.13% |
| PSFTA | 12.32 | 12.06 | 10.59 | 24.15 | 18.06 | 0.08% |
| SAFTA | 7.65 | 5.04 | 5.36 | 10.73 | 15.40 | 0.07% |
| SSFTA | - | - | - | - | 5.09 | 0.02% |
| GSTP | 0.01 | - | 0.00 | - | 3.99 | 0.02% |
| SAPTA | 0.13 | 0.26 | 0.11 | 0.20 | 0.14 | 0.00% |
| Without preference | 19,799.10 | 16,564.01 | 16,086.08 | 18,199.69 | 20,927.47 | 97.76% |
| Total imports | 20,052.37 | 16,698.74 | 16,246.45 | 18,580.72 | 21,407.60 | 100.00% |
Share of Preferential Exports in 2025 
Share of Preferential Imports in 2025 
