Country of Origin

Origin, not the ship-from country, determines which duties and trade remedies apply. Moving final assembly or shipping through a third country does not change origin unless a substantial transformation happens there.

Does shipping goods through another country change their country of origin?

No. Simple transshipment, relabeling, or minor processing does not change origin. Origin changes only if the goods undergo substantial transformation in that country, and CBP can penalize misdeclared origin.

• Certificate of OriginA document or statement certifying the country where goods were produced, used to claim preferential duty rates under trade agreements or to meet an importing country's requirements.
• Section 301 TariffsAdditional US duties imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 in response to a trading partner's unfair practices, most widely on many goods of Chinese origin since 2018.
• Commercial InvoiceThe seller's invoice for an international shipment that lists the parties, goods description, quantity, value, currency, country of origin, and sale terms, used by customs to assess duties.
• Harmonized Tariff ScheduleThe US system of product classification codes (based on the international Harmonized System) that determines duty rates for imports.