Answer first
Core rule
For ordinary marking analysis, country of origin is the country of manufacture, production, or growth; work performed in another country changes that origin only if it effects a substantial transformation. For a good whose marking origin is Canada, Mexico, or the United States, Part 102 determines country of origin for marking purposes. The shipping or export country is not automatically the marking origin. This is the current-law baseline reviewed on 2026-08-18; for a CBLE question, confirm the CFR and other references designated for that exam sitting before choosing the exam answer.
Authority and lookup route
Locate the rule before returning to the facts. Links point to government or official publications.
Reference lookup task
Find the sentence in §134.1(b) that sends Canada, Mexico, and United States marking-origin questions to Part 102.
Route: Read §134.1(b), then confirm the defined terms in §134.1(g) and (j) before opening Part 102.
Worked example
A product is shipped from Mexico, but its components and processing span several countries. May the examiner select Mexico as the marking origin solely because Mexico is the export country?
- 1Separate country of export from country of origin.
- 2Recognize the possible Canada-Mexico-United States marking branch in §134.1.
- 3Apply the Part 102 hierarchy to the component and processing facts.
- 4Choose an origin only after that legal analysis, not from the shipping route alone.
Conclusion: No. Mexico's role as the export country is not enough; the marking origin must be determined under the applicable Part 102 rules.
Common traps
- Equating the country of export or last shipment with country of origin.
- Applying only the general substantial-transformation test to a Canada or Mexico marking question.
- Using a preferential-tariff origin conclusion as the marking-origin answer without checking the marking rule.