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USMCA rules of origin

The United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (CUSMA, T-MEC) is a trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico.

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

PartiesUnited StatesCanadaMexicoThe United States, Canada and Mexico3 parties
De minimis10%of the transaction value or total cost, in non-originating materialsArticle 4.12CumulationCumulationMaterials from partner countries count as your own.Article 4.11Claimed withCertification of originThe document behind a claim for the lower rate.Article 5.2

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.

  • Wholly obtained goods

    Things grown, mined or caught in the area qualify with no further test.

    Article 4.3

  • Product-specific rules

    The rule your product has to meet, looked up by its tariff code.

    Article 4.2

  • Valuation

    How value is measured for the agreement's value tests.

    Article 4.5

  • Automotive goods

    Cars, trucks and their parts have separate rules of their own.

    Article 4.10

Allowances and limits

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

  • De minimis

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

    Article 4.12

  • Cumulation

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

    Article 4.11 · called accumulation in the agreement

  • Insufficient processing

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

    Article 4.19 · called non-qualifying operations in the agreement

  • Accessories, spare parts and tools

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

    Article 4.14

  • Retail packaging

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

    Article 4.15

  • Shipping packing

    Boxes and containers used only for shipping are ignored.

    Article 4.16

  • Sets

    How products sold together as a set qualify.

    Article 4.17

  • Indirect materials

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

    Article 4.9

  • Fungible materials

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

    Article 4.13

  • Intermediate materials

    Parts you make yourself, and that qualify, count as originating.

    Article 4.8

  • Recovered materials

    Parts recovered from used goods can count as originating in remanufactured goods.

    Article 4.4

  • Textile tolerance

    For textiles the allowance is worked out by weight.

    Uniform Regulations, Section 5

Shipping and claiming

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

  • Direct transport

    Goods can't be worked on while they're on their way.

    Article 4.18 · called transit and transshipment in the agreement

  • Proof of origin

    The document you need to claim the lower rate.

    Article 5.2

  • Conditions for claiming

    What the importer needs in order to claim the lower rate.

    Article 5.2

Other regional agreements. See them all on the globe.