Rules of origin, in plain language
A product doesn't qualify for a trade agreement's preferential duty rate just because it ships between two member countries -- it has to meet a rule of origin proving it's genuinely made there, not merely shipped from there. Customs Declare checks rules of origin across 16 of the 20 trade agreements it prices duty against. The worked example below uses AfCFTA's own schedule, since it's the one with the most complete, fully line-item data on file.
Wholly obtained
The product is entirely grown, mined, or produced within the trade bloc -- raw agricultural goods and minerals are the most common example.
Regional value content
A minimum percentage of the product's value must come from processing or materials within the trade bloc -- the exact threshold depends on the product.
Change of tariff classification
Non-qualifying inputs must be transformed enough to shift the product into a different HS heading -- proof that real manufacturing happened, not just repackaging.
How deep the data goes
11 of those 16 agreements -- including AfCFTA, USMCA, RCEP, CETA, CPTPP, and the EU's agreements with Japan, Korea, EFTA, and the Pacific Alliance -- carry line-item schedules covering thousands of individual product codes each. The other 5 (AANZFTA, ACFTA, AITIGA, COMESA, ECOWAS) apply one general eligibility test across all products rather than a per-product schedule. AfCFTA's own schedule, used as the example above, currently covers 16 specific products -- including cocoa, tobacco, raw hides and skins, cotton, cut flowers, coffee, tea, diamonds, and gold -- across 5 corridor countries (Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa), expanding over time.
Where this data comes from
Every rule is sourced directly from the trade agreement's own treaty text or implementing legislation -- never a summary or a generic percentage. The AfCFTA schedule above comes from Appendix IV to Annex 2 of the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Goods.
Read Appendix IV (PDF, WTO RTA database mirror)Check whether your product qualifies
The duty calculator shows whether we currently have rules-of-origin data for your specific HS code and corridor.
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