Exporter's Guides . . The Agreement also requires that rules of origin not restrict, distort or disrupt international trade. Rules of origin are the laws, regulations and administrative guidelines that governments use to determine an imported product's country of origin not always an easy matter when the raw materials, manufacturing, processing or assembly of a product can be provided in several different countries. The Agreement entered into force on January 1, 1995. It has no expiration date.
Any company involved in international trade can benefit from clear and predictable rules of origin.
The Agreement requires WTO members to permit companies interested in exporting a product requiring an origin determination to request an assessment of the origin of the product, normally from that country's customs service. Requests must be accompanied by the appropriate documentation. Under the WTO Rules of Origin Agreement, the importing country must issue its origin assessment within 150 days. Assessments are valid for three years, and changes in origin rules cannot be applied retroactively. Information of a confidential nature that is provided to government officials for the purpose of assessing origin must be treated as confidential by the authorities concerned.