diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-algebra/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/translator/CompiledStatements.java b/asterixdb/asterix-algebra/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/translator/CompiledStatements.java
index 4981f0e..3733970 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-algebra/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/translator/CompiledStatements.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-algebra/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/translator/CompiledStatements.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.expression.VariableExpr;
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.statement.Query;
 import org.apache.asterix.metadata.entities.Dataset;
+import org.apache.asterix.metadata.entities.Datatype;
 import org.apache.asterix.metadata.entities.Index;
 import org.apache.hyracks.algebricks.common.exceptions.AlgebricksException;
 import org.apache.hyracks.api.exceptions.SourceLocation;
@@ -290,13 +291,15 @@
             implements ICompiledDmlStatement {
         private final DataverseName dataverseName;
         private final String datasetName;
+        private final Datatype itemType;
         private final String adapter;
         private final Map<String, String> properties;
 
-        public CompiledCopyFromFileStatement(DataverseName dataverseName, String datasetName, String adapter,
-                Map<String, String> properties) {
+        public CompiledCopyFromFileStatement(DataverseName dataverseName, String datasetName, Datatype itemType,
+                String adapter, Map<String, String> properties) {
             this.dataverseName = dataverseName;
             this.datasetName = datasetName;
+            this.itemType = itemType;
             this.adapter = adapter;
             this.properties = properties;
         }
@@ -319,6 +322,10 @@
             return properties;
         }
 
+        public Datatype getItemType() {
+            return itemType;
+        }
+
         @Override
         public Statement.Kind getKind() {
             return Statement.Kind.COPY;
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-algebra/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/translator/LangExpressionToPlanTranslator.java b/asterixdb/asterix-algebra/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/translator/LangExpressionToPlanTranslator.java
index 52cddc5..f1a1398 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-algebra/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/translator/LangExpressionToPlanTranslator.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-algebra/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/translator/LangExpressionToPlanTranslator.java
@@ -224,9 +224,9 @@
                         ((CompiledLoadFromFileStatement) stmt).getAdapter(),
                         ((CompiledLoadFromFileStatement) stmt).getProperties());
             } else if (stmt.getKind() == Statement.Kind.COPY) {
-                lds = new LoadableDataSource(dataset, itemType, metaItemType,
-                        ((CompiledCopyFromFileStatement) stmt).getAdapter(),
-                        ((CompiledCopyFromFileStatement) stmt).getProperties());
+                CompiledCopyFromFileStatement copyStmt = (CompiledCopyFromFileStatement) stmt;
+                lds = new LoadableDataSource(dataset, copyStmt.getItemType().getDatatype(), metaItemType,
+                        copyStmt.getAdapter(), copyStmt.getProperties());
             } else {
                 throw new CompilationException(ErrorCode.COMPILATION_ERROR, sourceLoc, "Unrecognized Statement Type",
                         stmt.getKind());
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/app/translator/QueryTranslator.java b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/app/translator/QueryTranslator.java
index d41b549..7cf7938 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/app/translator/QueryTranslator.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/app/translator/QueryTranslator.java
@@ -3504,9 +3504,22 @@
         try {
             metadataProvider.setWriteTransaction(true);
             Dataset dataset = metadataProvider.findDataset(dataverseName, copyStmt.getDatasetName());
+            if (dataset == null) {
+                throw new CompilationException(ErrorCode.UNKNOWN_DATASET_IN_DATAVERSE, stmt.getSourceLocation(),
+                        datasetName, dataverseName);
+            }
             Datatype itemType = MetadataManager.INSTANCE.getDatatype(mdTxnCtx, dataset.getItemTypeDataverseName(),
                     dataset.getItemTypeName());
-
+            // Copy statement with csv files will have a type expression
+            if (copyStmt.getTypeExpr() != null) {
+                TypeExpression itemTypeExpr = copyStmt.getTypeExpr();
+                Triple<DataverseName, String, Boolean> itemTypeQualifiedName = extractDatasetItemTypeName(dataverseName,
+                        datasetName, itemTypeExpr, false, stmt.getSourceLocation());
+                DataverseName itemTypeDataverseName = itemTypeQualifiedName.first;
+                String itemTypeName = itemTypeQualifiedName.second;
+                IAType itemTypeEntity = translateType(itemTypeDataverseName, itemTypeName, itemTypeExpr, mdTxnCtx);
+                itemType = new Datatype(itemTypeDataverseName, itemTypeName, itemTypeEntity, true);
+            }
             ExternalDetailsDecl externalDetails = copyStmt.getExternalDetails();
             Map<String, String> properties =
                     createExternalDataPropertiesForCopyStmt(dataverseName, copyStmt, itemType, mdTxnCtx);
@@ -3515,7 +3528,7 @@
             validateExternalDatasetProperties(externalDetails, properties, copyStmt.getSourceLocation(), mdTxnCtx,
                     appCtx);
             CompiledCopyFromFileStatement cls = new CompiledCopyFromFileStatement(dataverseName,
-                    copyStmt.getDatasetName(), externalDetails.getAdapter(), properties);
+                    copyStmt.getDatasetName(), itemType, externalDetails.getAdapter(), properties);
             cls.setSourceLocation(stmt.getSourceLocation());
             JobSpecification spec = apiFramework.compileQuery(hcc, metadataProvider, null, 0, null, sessionOutput, cls,
                     null, responsePrinter, warningCollector, null);
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-lang-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/lang/common/statement/CopyStatement.java b/asterixdb/asterix-lang-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/lang/common/statement/CopyStatement.java
index 3baf81a..2a1a51a 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-lang-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/lang/common/statement/CopyStatement.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-lang-common/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/lang/common/statement/CopyStatement.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import org.apache.asterix.common.metadata.DataverseName;
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.base.AbstractStatement;
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.expression.RecordConstructor;
+import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.expression.TypeExpression;
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.util.ExpressionUtils;
 import org.apache.asterix.lang.common.visitor.base.ILangVisitor;
 import org.apache.asterix.object.base.AdmObjectNode;
@@ -30,13 +31,15 @@
 
     private DataverseName dataverseName;
     private String datasetName;
+    private TypeExpression typeExpr;
     private ExternalDetailsDecl externalDetails;
     private AdmObjectNode withObjectNode;
 
-    public CopyStatement(DataverseName dataverseName, String datasetName, ExternalDetailsDecl externalDetails,
-            RecordConstructor withRecord) throws CompilationException {
+    public CopyStatement(DataverseName dataverseName, String datasetName, TypeExpression typeExpr,
+            ExternalDetailsDecl externalDetails, RecordConstructor withRecord) throws CompilationException {
         this.dataverseName = dataverseName;
         this.datasetName = datasetName;
+        this.typeExpr = typeExpr;
         this.externalDetails = externalDetails;
         this.withObjectNode = withRecord == null ? new AdmObjectNode() : ExpressionUtils.toNode(withRecord);
     }
@@ -87,4 +90,8 @@
     public byte getCategory() {
         return Category.UPDATE;
     }
+
+    public TypeExpression getTypeExpr() {
+        return typeExpr;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-lang-sqlpp/src/main/javacc/SQLPP.jj b/asterixdb/asterix-lang-sqlpp/src/main/javacc/SQLPP.jj
index 9e3dea4..a7dc2d5 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-lang-sqlpp/src/main/javacc/SQLPP.jj
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-lang-sqlpp/src/main/javacc/SQLPP.jj
@@ -2730,6 +2730,7 @@
   Token startToken = null;
   DataverseName dataverseName = null;
   Identifier datasetName = null;
+  TypeExpression typeExpr = null;
   boolean alreadySorted = false;
   String adapterName;
   Map<String,String> properties;
@@ -2741,13 +2742,14 @@
       dataverseName = nameComponents.first;
       datasetName = nameComponents.second;
     }
+  (<AS> typeExpr = DatasetTypeSpecification())?
   <USING> adapterName = AdapterName() properties = Configuration()
     {
        ExternalDetailsDecl edd = new ExternalDetailsDecl();
        edd.setAdapter(adapterName);
        edd.setProperties(properties);
        try {
-         CopyStatement stmt = new CopyStatement(dataverseName, datasetName.getValue(), edd, null);
+         CopyStatement stmt = new CopyStatement(dataverseName, datasetName.getValue(), typeExpr, edd, null);
          return addSourceLocation(stmt, startToken);
        } catch (CompilationException e){
            throw new SqlppParseException(getSourceLocation(startToken), e.getMessage());