# What is country of origin?

> Country of origin is where goods were made or last substantially changed, not where they ship from. Why it decides the duty, and a free origin finder.

Source: https://border.bot/glossary/country-of-origin
Last updated: 2026-10-27

Country of origin is where a product was made, or where it last went through a substantial change, under the importing country’s rules. It decides which duty rate applies, whether a trade agreement lowers it, and whether extra duties such as Section 301 add to it. It isn’t the country the parcel ships from.

## Find where a product was made from its title, page or barcode, with the evidence

Run it at [the country of origin finder](https://border.bot/tools/country-of-origin-finder).

## Wholly obtained or substantially transformed

Goods grown, mined or made entirely in one country are of that country. When several countries are involved, the origin is usually where the last substantial transformation happened: a change that gives the product a new name, character or use, often shown by a change of tariff heading.

## Non-preferential and preferential origin

Non-preferential origin decides the normal duty, marking and extra duties. Preferential origin is a separate test under a trade agreement: goods that meet its rules, with the proof it asks for, can enter at a lower or zero rate.

A warehouse in another country doesn’t change the origin. A T-shirt made in Bangladesh and shipped from a UK warehouse is still of Bangladeshi origin.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is country of origin where the product ships from?

No. It is where the product was made or last substantially changed. The ship-from country can differ and doesn’t change the duty.

### Why does country of origin change the duty?

Duty rates and extra duties are set per origin: the same product can enter free under a trade agreement from one country and pay additional duties from another.

## Related

- [Preferential origin](https://border.bot/glossary): Origin that qualifies goods for a lower or zero duty rate under a trade agreement, such as USMCA or the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
- [Duty](https://border.bot/glossary/duty): A tax on imported goods, set by the tariff line for the product’s code and country of origin.
- [Anti-dumping and countervailing duties](https://border.bot/glossary): Extra duties on specific products from specific countries, and sometimes from specific manufacturers, that offset dumping (selling below normal value) or foreign subsidies.
- [HS code](https://border.bot/glossary/hs-code): A 6-digit product code from the Harmonized System, maintained by the World Customs Organization and used by most countries as the basis of their tariffs.
- [Country of origin vs shipped from](https://border.bot/blog/country-of-origin-vs-shipped-from)