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General principles

Work

Introduction and Context

Non-preferential origin determines the economic nationality of a product for general customs purposes within the EU. It establishes which country a product is considered to originate from when imported or exported, independently of any preferential trade agreements.

Unlike preferential origin, which is used to access reduced or zero tariff rates under free trade or economic partnership agreements, non-preferential origin is used primarily to:

  • Determine applicable customs duties under the EU Common Customs Tariff;

  • Enforce trade remedies (e.g., anti-dumping, countervailing duties, safeguards);

  • Comply with labelling, marking, or origin-statistics requirements;

  • Support customs control and enforcement of EU trade law.

To establish non-preferential origin, a product must either:

  • Be wholly obtained in progressone country (e.g., minerals, agricultural products, animals raised, or goods extracted/harvested); or

  • Have undergone substantial, economically justified processing or working in a country that results in a change in tariff classification, physical or chemical properties, or composition, thereby constituting a “substantial transformation.”

These rules ensure that origin determinations reflect the true country of production, prevent circumvention of EU trade rules, and provide legal certainty for customs authorities and economic operators.


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