Important Definitions

Article 401 of the NAFTA Originating Goods

Certificate of Origin -a Certificate of Origin shall be employed to certify that a good being
exported either from the United States into Canada or Mexico or from Canada or Mexico into the
United States qualifies as an originating good for purposes of preferential tariff treatment under
the NAFTA.
Critical Material- a material which is key to the origin test- i.e. those materials which do not
make the tariff shift requirement specified in the NAFTA rule of origin covering the good being
qualified.
Exporter- means an exporter located, and required under Part 181, North American Free Trade
Agreement to maintain records regarding exportations of a good, in the United States, Canada or
Mexico.
HS Tariff Classification Number- the Harmonized System tariff classification number covering
the goods included in a NAFTA Certificate of Origin. The structure of a HTS number:
8544.30.00
Wire harnesses used in vehicles
85
Chapter number
8544.
Heading number
8544.30
Subheading number
8544.30.00 Tariff classification number
Good- the product that is being qualified under the NAFTA.
Importer- means an importer located, and required under Part 181, North American Free Trade
Agreement to maintain records regarding importations of a good, in the United States, Canada or
Mexico.
Originating Goods- goods produced in North America that satisfy the NAFTA rules of origin
stipulated in Article 401 of the NAFTA.
Material- parts and components incorporated into the good being qualified under the NAFTA.
Preference Criterion -the Preference Rules of Origin which specify in detail the tests which a
product must satisfy in order to be recognized as an originating good of a NAFTA country,
entitled to enter the other NAFTA countries free of duty.
Producer- a person who grows, mines, harvests, fishes, traps, hunts, manufactures, processes or
assembles a good;

R.A. Pia & Associates, Inc.

12/12/2007