National rules of origin are used to determine origin when preferential tariff treatment is not required or the goods do not meet the preferential rules in the various free trade agreements.
They are used, among other things, in connection with
- MFN treatment (most-favoured-nation = best criterion principle);
- Anti-dumping and countervailing duties;
- Protective measures;
- Origin labelling requirements;
- In conjunction with discriminatory quantitative restrictions;
- Customs quotas;
- Public procurement;
- Trade statistics.
Countries nowadays have different national regulations in the non-preferential area. Individual countries have general rules, whereas others have more detailed regulations. The customs origin declaration in Norway is largely based on the simple principle that the country of origin of the raw materials is the country where the raw materials originate/are produced in. Insofar as processed goods are concerned (where more than one country is involved), the country of origin is the country where the goods have undergone their last material processing and have received their current form.
The EU Regulations are laid down in the Union Customs Code and correspond, in broad outline, to the Norwegian regulations. However, the EU Regulations are more detailed, among other things, with regard to rules for various raw materials/natural products, and the processing regulations and laid down in the implementation rules of the Customs Code.
In relation to the European Union's autonomous quotas and the WTO (GATT) quotas, national non-preferential rules of origin apply.
Certificates of Origin are used when exporting non-originating product.