Rules of Origin

Category: Customs

Definition (plain English)

The product-specific rules that determine whether goods qualify as originating in a country for tariff, preference, marking, or control purposes.

Why it matters commercially

Origin rules decide whether preferential duty can be claimed and whether customs may later recover duty, penalties, or require corrected documents.

Example

A food product assembled in one country did not qualify for preference because key ingredients came from outside the agreement area and the transformation rule was not met.

Common mistake

Relying on a supplier origin statement without checking bill of materials, tariff-shift rules, regional value content, and record-retention requirements.

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