Canada

For US customs, the country of origin is generally where a product was grown, produced, or manufactured—not the country it was shipped from. A shipment sent from Canada may contain goods made in Canada, the United States, China, or another country, and each item may be treated according to its own origin.

Origin matters because US tariff measures and trade programs can apply differently based on the product’s origin, classification, and any applicable exceptions or preference rules. Common pitfalls include assuming Canadian exportation makes a product Canadian-origin, treating simple repacking or labeling as manufacturing, and overlooking substantial transformation when goods are made or assembled in more than one country. Complex production chains may require a customs broker or trade specialist to assess.

What to check

• Confirm where each product was actually produced, grown, or manufactured, rather than relying only on the ship-from address.
• Review the product’s tariff classification and the origin rule that applies to that type of good, especially when components or processing come from multiple countries.
• Collect and retain supplier origin statements, bills of materials, production records, and commercial documents supporting the claimed origin.
• Check whether processing in Canada changed the product enough to create Canadian origin; do not assume assembly, repacking, or labeling is sufficient.
• Make sure the declared origin is consistent across the entry, commercial invoice, marking, preference claim, and supporting records; seek broker or customs advice when the analysis is uncertain.