Handbook on rules of origin and preferential treatment of imported goods
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Free trade agreements often require that a product be wholly obtained in the contracting states or undergo sufficient processing there in order to qualify for preferential treatment under the agreement. Rules of origin set out the conditions under which a product covered by a free trade agreement is considered an originating product. These rules are therefore necessary to distinguish products covered by free trade agreements and eligible for preferential treatment from products that are not eligible for such treatment, the so-called third-country goods.
An importer of goods that meet the rules of origin requirements under the relevant free trade agreement must submit proof of origin in the importing country in support of a claim for preferential treatment of the goods.