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Trade Agreements, Origin & Policy

Harmonized Origin Marking

Also known as: Country of Origin Marking, Marking

Origin marking rules require that imported goods be conspicuously, legibly, and permanently marked with their country of origin so that the ultimate purchaser can know where an article was made. The marking must survive normal handling and be in a form and location that an ordinary consumer would see, and specific rules govern the marking of containers, sets, and articles that are difficult to mark. Failure to mark correctly can result in additional duties, redelivery demands, or refusal of entry, making compliant marking an integral part of preparing goods for a foreign market.

The JFS takeLicensed customs broker · Filer 82G

Marking is its own body of law, enforced independently of duty. Goods can be perfectly classified, correctly valued and still refused over how the country of origin appears on the article — conspicuously, legibly and permanently, to the ultimate purchaser.

Where it matters for compliance

  • Marking duties may be assessed where goods are not properly marked.
  • The rules deciding origin for marking are not always identical to those deciding the duty rate.

Related terms

Country of OriginCountry of origin is the country in which a product was grown, produced, manufactured, or last substantially transformed, and it is a decisive factor in determining the duty rate, eligibility for preferential treatment, exposure to trade-remedy orders, quota limits, and marking requirements.Substantial TransformationSubstantial transformation is the legal test used to determine a product's country of origin when it is made from materials or components sourced in more than one country: origin is conferred by the country in which the last processing occurred that changed the article into a new and different article of commerce, with a distinct name, character, or use.

Reviewed by a licensed customs broker. Definitions are general information, not legal or customs advice for a particular shipment. Duty rates, tariff programs and agency requirements change frequently.