South Korea

For US customs, the country of origin is generally where a product was manufactured, produced, or grown—not the country it was shipped from, exported through, or purchased from. If goods made in South Korea travel through another country before entering the United States, South Korea may still be the origin.

Origin matters because tariff measures, trade agreements, quotas, marking rules, and other import requirements can depend on the origin country. The result can change when production occurs in more than one country, when components are assembled elsewhere, or when a product qualifies under a special origin rule. Do not assume that the seller’s location, shipping point, or country shown on a commercial invoice establishes origin.

What to check

• Map every production step and identify where the final substantial transformation occurs; this is often the key origin question.
• Check the product’s applicable US tariff classification and any origin-specific notes, special programs, or trade-agreement rules.
• Keep supporting records such as bills of materials, supplier origin statements, manufacturing records, and production invoices.
• Verify that the commercial invoice, customs entry, marking, and electronic data consistently identify South Korea when it is the correct origin.
• Ask a customs broker or trade specialist to review complex cases, especially when processing, assembly, or components involve multiple countries.