Global

For US customs, the country of origin is generally where a product is manufactured or produced—not the country it was shipped from, purchased from, or last stored in. If production occurs in more than one country, customs may apply a “substantial transformation” analysis: the key question is whether processing changed the product into a new article with a different name, character, or use. The exact test can depend on the product and the applicable rule.

Origin matters because tariff measures, trade remedies, marking requirements, preference programs, quotas, and other import rules may be assigned by origin. “Global” usually means a measure is presented as applying broadly rather than being limited to a listed country, but the importer must still verify the measure’s scope, product classification, exclusions, and any origin-specific conditions in the official source. Shipping through a third country, using a trading company, or performing minor operations there usually does not by itself change origin.

What to check

• Trace and document each country’s role in manufacturing, including where materials are added and where the final substantial transformation occurs.
• Do not treat the ship-from country, seller’s location, warehouse, or port of export as the product’s customs origin.
• Check the product’s HTS classification together with the measure’s stated scope, origin rules, exclusions, and applicable entry conditions.
• Keep bills of materials, production records, supplier origin statements, invoices, and transport documents that support the declared origin.
• Ask a customs broker or trade specialist to review complex multi-country production, assembly, or processing before entry.