International Trade: Rules of Origin

Summary

"This report deals with rules of origin (ROO) used to determine the country of origin of merchandise entering the U.S. market, in three parts. First, [it] describe in more detail the reasons that country of origin rules are important and briefly describe U.S. laws and methods that provide direction in making these determinations. Second, [the report] discuss briefly some of the more controversial issues involving rules of origin, including the apparently subjective nature of some U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) origin determinations, and the effects of the global manufacturing process on ROO. Third, [the report] concludes with some alternatives and options that Congress could consider that might assist in simplifying the process" (Summary).