Iran

For US customs, the country of origin is generally where a product is manufactured, produced, or grown—not the country it was shipped from, exported through, or purchased from. A shipment routed through another country usually keeps its original origin unless the goods undergo a legally significant transformation there. This rule is separate from the country of export and the country of shipment.

Origin matters because US tariff measures, sanctions-related restrictions, quotas, marking rules, and other import requirements may be identified by origin. For goods connected with Iran, do not assume that transshipment, simple repacking, labeling, or minor processing changes the origin or removes an applicable measure. For multi-country production, origin can depend on the product’s tariff classification and the nature of each processing step; a customs broker or trade professional may be needed for a binding determination.

What to check

• Identify where the product was actually manufactured, produced, or grown, and record the country of origin separately from the ship-from country.
• Map the full production chain, including components, assembly, processing, repacking, and transshipment, and assess whether the last processing step created a substantial transformation.
• Verify the product’s tariff classification and check the official US tariff and trade-measure sources for measures tied to Iran or the product’s origin.
• Collect and retain supporting evidence such as supplier origin declarations, manufacturing records, bills of materials, production documents, and commercial invoices.
• Ask a qualified customs broker or seek an official customs ruling when processing is split across countries, the Iran connection is unclear, or the origin conclusion could affect admissibility or compliance.