Free trade is not automatic trade
A product does not qualify merely because it ships from a partner country. The importer must apply the agreement’s origin rule and hold the records needed to support the claim.
The four-step journey
Learn why origin rules, tariff shift, regional value content, records, certification, and direct shipment can matter to preferential duty treatment.
- Classify the finished good and inputs
- Apply the product-specific origin rule
- Collect certification and support
- Claim preference and retain records
What the broker checks
- Correct agreement and tariff rule
- Bill of materials and production facts
- Certification, shipment path, and record retention
Why it matters
Preference is earned by the product’s origin facts and documentation—not the supplier’s address.
- Tariff shift: A rule requiring inputs to change tariff classification through production.
- RVC: Regional value content.
Official sources
- CBP — Trade Agreements
- USITC — Harmonized Tariff Schedule
- 19 CFR Part 163 — Recordkeeping