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EU–SADC EPA rules of origin

The EU–SADC Economic Partnership Agreement (EU–SADC EPA) is a trade agreement between the European Union, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa.

Inferred runs your bill of materials through these rules, input by input, and checks your suppliers' declarations against them. You approve every result.

PartiesEuropean UnionBotswanaEswatiniLesothoMozambiqueNamibiaSouth AfricaThe European Union, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa7 parties
De minimis15%of the ex-works price, in non-originating materialsArticle 8CumulationBilateral cumulationAlso diagonal cumulation and cumulation of MFN duty-free inputs and moreArticle 3Claimed withOrigin declarationOr EUR.1 movement certificateArticle 19

The rules, one by one. Each with the article it comes from.

How a product originates

The ways it can qualify, and how value is measured.

Allowances and limits

What helps a product qualify, and what doesn't count.

  • Bilateral cumulation

    Materials from the other party count as your own.

    Article 3

  • Diagonal cumulation

    Materials from other countries that share the same rules count as your own.

    Article 4

  • Cumulation of MFN duty-free inputs

    Materials from partner countries count as if they were your own.

    Article 5

  • Cumulation of preferential duty-free inputs

    Materials from partner countries count as if they were your own.

    Article 6

  • Full cumulation

    Work done in the other party counts too, not just its materials.

    Article 4

  • De minimis

    A small share of materials can miss the rule and the product still qualifies.

    Article 8 · called general tolerance in the agreement

  • Textile tolerance

    For textiles the allowance is worked out by weight.

    Annex I

  • Insufficient processing

    Simple work like repacking or labelling doesn't count, even if the code changes.

    Article 9

  • Sets

    How products sold together as a set qualify.

    Article 12

  • Accessories, spare parts and tools

    Spare parts and tools shipped with the product are treated as part of it.

    Article 11

  • Retail packaging

    The packaging it's sold in goes with the product.

    Article 10

  • Shipping packing

    Boxes and containers used only for shipping are ignored.

    Article 10

  • Indirect materials

    Fuel, tools and other things used up in production are ignored.

    Article 13 · called neutral elements in the agreement

  • Fungible materials

    Identical materials from different sources can be tracked by inventory method.

    Article 16 · called accounting segregation in the agreement

Shipping and claiming

Where the work happens, how the goods travel and how you claim.

  • Proof of origin

    The document you need to claim the lower rate.

    Article 19

  • Territoriality

    Where the work has to happen, and how much can happen elsewhere.

    Article 14

Other European Union agreements. See them all on the globe.