Determining Country of Origin

The process for determining the country of origin for products is as follows:

• Imported products must identify the country where they were wholly processed or manufactured.
• The country of origin is the country where the item took on its initial essence.  The addition of buttons, beads, spangles, embroidery, collars, cuffs, pockets, and plackets do not change the country of origin.
• The country of origin for textile and apparel products processed, assembled or manufactured in two or more countries is determined by where the most important processing occurs, and, if that cannot be ascertained, the last country in which an important assembly or manufacturing process occurs.  In this situation, guidance from NMG’s foreign agents should be obtained.
• If more than 50% of an article is knit to shape, then the country of origin is that country where the knit to shape took place.  For example, if a shawl was knit to shape in India and then shipped to England where hemming and fringes are sewn, the country of origin would still be India.

Further information on country of origin determination can be found in the following U.S. Customs publication (.pdf format) ‘Textile and Apparel Rules of Origin’.