Preferential origin: why shipping from a country is not enough

A free trade agreement between two countries does not cut the duty on everything that moves between them. It cuts the duty on goods that originate in the partner country under the agreement’s own rules, and only when the importer holds the proof the agreement requires.

Rules of origin

Every agreement has product-specific rules: a change of tariff heading through processing, a minimum share of regional value, a specific process, or wholly obtained status for agricultural and mined goods. Goods merely transhipped through, or assembled in, the partner country from non-originating parts usually fail the rule.

Proof of origin

Depending on the agreement: a certificate issued by an authority, a statement on origin by an approved or registered exporter, or an importer’s knowledge claim. The proof must exist at the time of the declaration and be kept for verification. Customs can deny the preference years later if verification fails.

What LandedGrid does

The standard rate is always the primary result. Where a preference exists for your origin, it appears as a separate scenario with its assumption stated. You can confirm that the goods meet the rule and that you hold proof; the preferential scenario then becomes primary but stays labelled as based on your declaration. LandedGrid does not evaluate product-specific rules of origin itself.

Customs unions and A.TR

Between the EU and Türkiye, the customs union lets goods in free circulation move without duty under an A.TR movement certificate. That is a free-circulation status, not preferential origin: it does not carry into other agreements, and Türkiye’s additional customs duties depend on origin, not on the A.TR.