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Derestricted 
      FTAA.TNC/w/133/Rev.3 November 21, 2003 
FTAA - Free Trade Area of the Americas 
      
      
      
Draft Agreement 
      
      
      
Chapter X Origin Regime 
      CHAPTER X Origin Regime [Article 1. Definitions] 
[1.1. For the purpose of this Chapter: 
aquaculture means the farming of aquatic organisms 
including fish, mollusks, crustaceans [, other aquatic invertebrates] and 
aquatic plants, [throughout their rearing or growth period, by effecting change 
in the rearing or growth process] [from seedstock such as eggs, fry, fingerlings 
and larvae, by intervention in the rearing or growth processes] to enhance 
production, such as regular stocking, feeding, protection from predators, etc.; 
customs authority means as defined in the Chapter on 
Customs Procedures;  
customs value means the value as determined in accordance 
with the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on 
Tariffs and Trade 1994 (WTO Agreement on Customs Valuation);  
direct production costs and expenditures means the costs 
and expenditures incurred during a period in which they are directly to the 
good, other than the cost or value of direct materials and the cost of direct 
labor; 
f.o.b. means free on board;  
fungible goods means goods that are interchangeable for 
commercial purposes, whose properties are essentially identical and for which it 
is impractical to differentiate one from another by a mere visual examination;
 
fungible materials means materials that are 
interchangeable for commercial purposes and whose properties are essentially 
identical; 
generally accepted accounting principles means the 
principles, rules, and procedures, including both broad and specific guidelines, 
that define the accounting practices accepted in the territory of a Party; 
good means any merchandise, product, article or material; 
identical or similar goods means "identical goods" and 
"similar goods", respectively, as defined in the WTO Agreement on Customs 
Valuation;  
indirect material means a good used in the production, 
testing or inspection of a good but not physically incorporated into the good, 
or a good used in the maintenance of buildings or the operation of equipment 
associated with the production of a good, including:  
a) fuel and energy; 
indirect production costs and expenditures means the 
costs and expenditures incurred during a period, other than the direct 
production costs and expenditures, direct cost of labor, and the cost or value 
of direct materials; 
intermediate material means a material that is 
self-produced and used in the production of a good, and designated pursuant to 
Article 4.8.a);  
material means a good that is used in the production of 
another good [and includes a part or ingredient];  
net cost means total cost minus sales promotion, 
marketing and aftersales service costs, royalties, shipping and repacking costs, 
and nonallowable interest costs, in accordance with the provisions in the annex 
to this article;  
non-allowable interest costs means interest costs 
incurred by a producer on its financial obligations that exceed ten (10) 
percentage points above the highest interest rate of the debt obligations issued 
by the central or federal government of the party in which the producer is 
located, in accordance with the provisions of the annex to this article; 
non-originating good or non-originating material means 
good or material that does not qualify as originating under this “Chapter”;  
packing containers and materials for shipment means goods 
used to protect another good during transportation, other than the containers 
and materials for retail sale; 
person of a Party 
producer means a person who produces a good;  
producer’s location means with respect to a good, the 
production plant of that good; 
production means growing, mining, removing, harvesting, 
raising, fishing, [trapping,] hunting, manufacturing, processing disassembling, 
or assembling a good;  
recovered goods means materials in the form of individual 
parts that are the result of: 1) the disassembly of used goods into individual 
parts; and 2) the cleaning, inspecting, testing or other processing of those 
parts necessary for improvement to sound working condition; 
related person means a person related to another person 
on the basis that:  
 
remanufactured goods means industrial goods 
assembled in the territory of a Party that: 1) are entirely or partially 
comprised of recovered goods; and 2) have the same life expectancy and meet the 
same performance standards as new products; 
sales promotion, marketing and after-sales service costs 
means the following costs related to sales promotion, marketing and aftersales 
service:  
 
self-produced material means a material that is produced 
by the producer of a good and used in the production of that good;  
shipping and repacking costs means the costs incurred in 
repacking a good and shipping the good outside the territory where the producer 
or exporter of the good is located;  
total cost means the sum of the following elements, in 
accordance with the provisions in the annex to this Article:  
 
transaction value means the price actually paid or 
payable for a good or material with respect to a transaction of the producer of 
the good, adjusted in accordance with the principles of paragraphs 1, 3 and 4 of 
Article 8 of the WTO Agreement on Customs Valuation to include, inter alia, such 
costs as commissions, production assists, royalties or license fees; 
 
transaction value of a good means the price actually paid 
or payable for a good with respect to a transaction of the producer of the good, 
in accordance with the principles of Article 1 of the WTO Agreement on Customs 
Valuation, adjusted in accordance with the principles of Articles 8.1, 8.3 and 
8.4 of said Code, regardless of whether the good is sold for export. For the 
purpose of this definition, the seller referred to in the WTO Agreement on 
Customs Valuation shall be the producer of the good; 
      
transaction value of the good including for 
      purposes of this definition, sets or assortments of Article 7. 
      (Qualification of Specific Types of Goods and Materials) and of Annex XX, 
      means 
 
adjusted, if necessary, to exclude any costs incurred 
subsequent to the good leaving the place of production, such as freight or 
insurance; 
transaction value of a material means the price actually 
paid or payable for a material with respect to a transaction of the producer of 
the good, in accordance with the principles of Article 1 of the WTO Agreement on 
Customs Valuation, adjusted in accordance with the principles of Articles 8.1, 
8.3 and 8.4 of said code, regardless of whether the material is sold for 
export. For the purpose of this definition, the seller referred to in the WTO 
Agreement on Customs Valuation shall be the supplier of the material and the 
buyer to which the customs valuation code refers to shall be the producer of the 
good; 
used means used or consumed in the production of goods; 
      
      
      
      
value of non-originating materials, including for 
      purposes of this definition non-originating component goods as referred to 
      in the provisions on sets or assortments in Article 7. (Qualification of 
      Specific Types of Goods and Materials) and in Annex XX, non-originating 
      accessories, spare parts and tools as referred to in the provisions in 
      Article 7. (Qualification of Specific Types of Goods and Materials) and 
      non-originating packaging materials and containers as referred to in the 
      provisions in Article 7. (Qualification of Specific Types of Goods and 
      Materials), means: 
value of non-originating materials, including for 
purposes of this definition non-originating component goods as referred to in 
Article 7.b) (Sets or assortments) and in Annex XX, non-originating accessories, 
spare parts and tools as referred to in Article 7.c) (Accessories, spare parts 
and tools) and non-originating packaging materials and containers as referred to 
in Article 7.d) ([Packaging][Packing] materials and containers for shipment), 
means: 
 
2.1. [The purpose of the FTAA origin regime is to define the 
criteria by which goods qualify as originating.]   
2.2. [The rules of origin shall not be restrictive in nature, 
nor constitute unnecessary obstacles to tapping the advantages stemming from the 
application of the Tariff Elimination Program of this Agreement.] 
3.1. Unless otherwise specified, for the purposes of the 
Agreement the following goods will be considered as originating in the territory 
of one [or more] of the Part[y][ies]: 
 
[4.1. When [regional value content] [a value test] is 
required under Annex I (Product-Specific Rules of Origin) to determine if a good 
is originating, each Party shall provide that the person requesting preferential 
tariff treatment for a good may calculate the [regional value content][value 
test] on the basis of either of the following methods, except when Annex I 
states otherwise: 
 
RVC = AV - VNM x 100 
AV 
 
RVC = VOM x 100 
AV 
where,  
RVC is the regional value content, expressed as a 
    percentage; 
AV is the adjusted value of a good; 
VNM is the value of non-originating materials acquired by 
    the producer in the production of the good; 
VOM is the value of originating materials acquired by the 
    producer for the production of the good. 
Adjusted value of a good:  
4.2. For purposes of the regional value content formulas and 
the application of de minimis, adjusted value means the customs value of the 
good as determined under Articles 1 through 8, Article 15, and the corresponding 
interpretative notes of the World Trade Organization Agreement on the 
Implementation of Article VII of the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade 1994 
(WTO Agreement on Customs Valuation), adjusted to exclude the following costs, 
charges, and expenses, when these are not already excluded pursuant to a Party’s 
national legislation: any costs, charges, or expenses incurred for 
transportation, insurance, and related services incident to the international 
shipment of the merchandise from the country of exportation to the place of 
importation. 
Value of Materials: 
4.3. For purposes of calculating the regional value content 
of a good and for purposes of applying the “de minimis”, the value of a material 
shall be: 
 
Adjustments to the Value of Materials 
4.4. Each Party will provide that a person who requests preferential tariff 
treatment for a good may adjust the value of the materials, as here indicated
 
      
 
[4.1. [Except for the provisions of paragraph 4 for 
purposes of determining whether a good is originating, the regional value 
content of a good shall be calculated [at the choice of the exporter or producer 
of the good] on the basis of the transaction value method or with the net 
cost method.] 
[4.2. For calculating the regional value content of a good, 
based on the transaction value method, the following formula will be used: 
TV – VNM 
RVC = ----------------- x 100 TV 
where:  
RVC is the regional value content, expressed as a 
    percentage;  
TV is the transaction value of the good adjusted 
on an 
    FOB basis. [save for the provisions of paragraph 3][ If such value 
does not exist or cannot be determined according to the principles set 
forth in 
    Article 1 of the Customs Valuation Agreement, it shall be calculated
 
    according to the principles set forth in Articles 2 through 7 of 
said 
    Agreement]; and  
VNM [is the transaction value of non-originating 
    materials adjusted on a CIF basis. If such value does not exist or cannot be 
    determined according to the principles set forth in Article 1 of the Customs 
    Valuation Agreement, it shall be calculated according to the principles set 
    forth in Articles 2 through 7 of said Agreement]. [value of the 
    non-originating materials used by the producer in the production of the 
    good, determined in accordance with the provisions of Article 2.6.] 
[For purposes of calculating regional value content, the 
value of non-originating materials used in the production of a good shall not 
include the value of non-originating materials used in the production of an 
originating material used in the production of that good.] 
[4.3. For the purposes of paragraph 2, if the producer 
of a good does not export it directly, the transaction value shall be 
adjusted up to the point at which the purchaser receives the good in the 
territory where the producer is located.] 
[4.4. Each Party shall provide that an exporter or producer 
calculate the regional value content of a good solely on the basis of the net 
cost method set out in paragraph 5 when:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
[4.5. To calculate the regional value content of a good on 
the basis of the net cost method, the following formula shall be used: 
NC  VNM 
RVC = --------------- x 100 NC 
where 
RVC is the regional value content, expressed as a 
    percentage. 
NC is the net cost of the good. 
VNM is the value of non-originating materials used by the 
    producer in the production of the good, determined in accordance with 
    Article 4.6. ([Regional value content][Value test]) .] 
[Value of the materials 
4.6. For purposes of calculating the regional value content, 
the value of non-originating goods used by the producer in the production of the 
good shall be the sum of the values of the non-originating materials, determined 
in accordance with this article, imported from outside the territory of the 
Party and that are used in the production of the good or are used in the 
production of any material used in the production of the good. 
4.7. Determination of the value of the materials. 
 
4.8. When not considered in subparagraphs a) or b) of Article 
4.7. ([Regional value content][Value test]) the value of a material shall 
include: 
 
4.9. [If the producer of the good acquires a non-originating 
material in the territory of the Party in which it is located, the value of the 
non-originating material shall not include freight, insurance, costs of 
packaging and any other costs incurred in transporting the material from the 
supplier’s warehouse to the place where the producer is located.] 
4.10. [The value of an indirect material shall be based on 
the generally accepted accounting principles applicable in the territory of the 
Party in which the good is produced.]] 
[4.1. Where the applicable rule of origin in Annex XX for the 
tariff provision under which a good is classified specifies a value test, the 
value test shall be satisfied provided the value of non-originating materials 
used in the production of the good does not exceed the percentage of the 
transaction value of the good that is specified in the rule. 
4.2. For purposes of paragraph 1, the value test shall be 
expressed as “provided that the value of the non-originating materials (…) does 
not exceed (…) percent of the transaction value of the good”, where 
 
4.3. For purposes of paragraph 2, 
 
[4.1. [A good shall be considered to be originating when in 
its production or transformation process originating and non-originating 
materials from the territory of the Parties are used, provided that the CIF 
value of the non-originating materials does not exceed (…) percent of the FOB 
export value of the product (…) percent for smaller economies and/or countries 
in different levels of development].]]  
5.1. Each Party shall provide that goods produced in one or 
more of the Parties exclusively from materials wholly 
obtained or produced in any of the Parties shall be considered as [wholly 
obtained] [originating] in the qualification of the origin of the final good.
 
5.2. Each Party shall provide that any good produced in one 
or more of the Parties from originating and non-originating 
materials that fulfills the origin requirements established in this Chapter 
shall be considered as [originating] [wholly produced] materials in the 
determination of the origin of the good into which it is incorporated, including 
when these materials may come from the Party in which the final production takes 
place. [except when a good to be used as an input must satisfy a rule of origin 
based on a value test criterion, in which case the non-originating inputs 
incorporated in the intermediate good must be considered as non-originating 
inputs the determination of the origin of the final good]. 
[5.3. When a good is produced in one or more Parties from 
originating and non-originating inputs, the rule of origin applicable to the 
good may be fulfilled through [production processes] [the origin 
requirements established in this Chapter] carried out in more than one 
Party.][The good shall be originating from the Party where the last productive 
process was carried out.] 
5.4. The provisions of paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 shall take 
effect [on a bilateral basis between the Parties participating in the commercial 
transaction during the transition period] [among all the Parties the moment this 
Agreement enters into force]. 
5.5. The provisions of this Article shall be applied during 
the transition period to all trade conducted under this Agreement [independently 
of the negotiated preferential tariff treatments] [in accordance with the 
criteria determined by the Parties for the application of accumulation to those 
products for which differential tariff treatment is granted]. 
[6.1. Notwithstanding Article 3.c) ([Goods produced in the 
territory of one or more Parties from originating and non-originating materials 
or exclusively from non-originating materials]), [except as identified in 
subparagraph e) of Annex [XX]] [and with exception of chapters 50 through 63,] 
[and any other heading of the tariff universe] a good shall be considered 
as originating if the [CIF] value of all non-originating materials that do not 
comply with the requirements of a change in tariff classification [established 
in Annex XX] does not exceed (…) percent [of the adjusted value of the 
good] [of the transaction value of the good][of the total FOB cost of the good 
in conformity with the Agreement on Implementation of Article VII of the General 
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994,][provided that: 
 
[In the case of the smaller economies the de minimis 
percentage shall be (…) percent, upon entry into force of the Agreement.]] 
6.2. [In the case of goods classified in Chapters 50 through 
63 of the Harmonized System, that do not originate because certain fibers and 
yarns used in the production of the material that determines the tariff 
classification of the good do not undergo a change in tariff classification as 
stipulated in Annex XX, they shall nonetheless be considered as originating if 
the total weight of all such fibers and yarns in that component is not more than 
(… percent) of the total weight of that component.] 
[In the case described in the previous paragraph, the 
producer shall not be obligated to comply with any other rule of origin.] 
[Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, a good containing elastomeric yarns in 
the component of the good that determines the classification of the good 
originates only if such yarns are wholly formed in the territory of one of the 
Parties.] 
 
      
Fungible materials and goods 
[7.1. For purposes of determining whether [a material 
      or] a good qualif[y][ies] as originating, the following shall be taken 
      into account: 
 
Sets or Assortments 
[7.2. [[Except as provided in Annex XX][Sets [or] 
      assortments of goods [classified pursuant to rule 3 of the General Rules 
      of Interpretation of the Harmonized System,] [as well as goods whose 
      description conforms to the Harmonized System Nomenclature, whether 
      specifically that of a set or assortment,] shall qualify as originating, 
      provided that: 
 
[7.3. These provisions on Sets or Assortments shall 
      prevail over the specific rules set forth in Annex XX of specific rules.] 
Accessories, spare parts and tools 
7.4. Accessories, spare parts and tools 
      delivered with the good that [usually] form part of the same shall be 
      considered as originating if the good originates and shall be disregarded 
      in determining whether all the non-originating materials used in the 
      production of a good undergo the applicable change of tariff 
      classification set out in Annex XX provided that: 
 
7.5. [Where the good is subject to a [value test] 
      [regional value content requirement], the accessories, spare parts and 
      tools shall be considered to be originating or non-originating materials, 
      as appropriate, for calculating the [regional value content of the good.] 
      [value test.]] 
      
Packaging materials and containers for retail sale 
      
7.6. [Except as provided in the provisions on sets or 
      assortments in Article 7. (Qualification of Specific Types of Goods and 
      Materials),] [p] Packaging materials and containers in which 
      a good is packaged for retail sale shall [, if classified as one with the 
      good,][in accordance with General Rule 5 b of the Harmonized System,] be 
      disregarded in determining whether all the non-originating materials used 
      in the production of the good undergo the applicable change in tariff 
      classification or fulfil any other condition established in Annex 
      XX. 
[7.7. However, where the good is subject to a regional 
      value content requirement][value test], the value of any non-originating 
      packaging materials and containers shall [be disregarded in determining 
      the origin of the goods, where the packaging materials and containers are 
      those used usually, and they are classified as one with the goods and are 
      not priced separately.] [be taken into account as originating or 
      non-originating, as the case may be], in calculating the [value of 
      non-originating materials] [regional value content of the good].] 
[Packaging] [Packing] materials and containers for 
      shipment 
7.8. [Packaging] [Packing] materials and 
      containers in which a good is packed for transport shall be disregarded 
      for the purpose of determining the origin of the good. 
7.9. [If the good is subject to a [regional value 
      content requirement] [value test], the value of the [packaging] [packing] 
      materials and containers for transport of the good [shall be disregarded 
      when determining the origin of the goods.] [shall be considered to be 
      originating or non-originating, as appropriate, for calculating the 
      [regional value content][value test] of the good and the value of that 
      material shall be the cost thereof reported in the accounting records of 
      the producer of the good.]] 
Indirect materials used in production 
7.10. [An indirect material shall be considered to be 
      an originating material without regard to where it was produced [[and the 
      value of that material shall be the cost thereof reported in the 
      accounting records of the producer of the good] [or other evidence 
      providing a reasonable indication of its value]].] 
[Indirect materials may include, among others, all 
      those used in the production, testing or inspection of a good but that are 
      not physically incorporated into it; or goods used for the maintenance of 
      buildings or for operating equipment related to the production of the 
      good, including, but not limited to: 
 
Intermediate materials used in production 
[7.11. An intermediate material is defined as a 
      material that is self-produced that contains non-originating inputs and 
      satisfies the conditions required to qualify as originating, and which 
      subsequently is used in the production of final goods in a Party. 
      Non-originating inputs of intermediate materials shall be disregarded for 
      classification of the origin of the final goods of which they are a part.] 
[7.11. For purposes of calculating the regional value 
      content in accordance with Article 4. ([Regional Value Content] 
      [Value Test]), the producer of a good may designate as an intermediate 
      material any self-produced material used in the production of the good, 
      provided said material complies with the provisions of Articles 3.a) 
      (Goods wholly obtained or produced entirely in the territory of one or 
      more of the Parties) to c) ([Goods produced in the territory of one or 
      more Parties from originating and non-originating materials or exclusively 
      from non-originating materials] and Article 5. (Treatment of 
      Accumulation). 
7.12. When the intermediate good is subject to a 
      regional value content requirement in accordance with Annex XX, it shall 
      be calculated on the basis of the net cost methods established in Article 
      4. ([Regional Value Content][Value Test]), and the good must 
      satisfy all other applicable requirements of this Chapter. 
7.13. For purposes of calculating the regional value 
      content of the good, the value of the intermediate material shall be the 
      total cost that can be reasonably allocated to such intermediate material 
      in accordance with paragraph 5 of the annex to Article 2 of Option 2; 
      moreover, the value of the intermediate goods used by the producer in the 
      production of the good shall be the sum of the values of the 
      non-originating materials, determined in accordance with Article XX, 
      imported from outside the territory of the party and that are used in the 
      production of the good or that are used in the production of any material 
      used in the production of the good. 
7.14. If a material designated as an intermediate 
      material is subject to a regional value content requirement, no other 
      self-produced material subject to a regional value content used in the 
      production of such intermediate material can, in turn, be designated by 
      the producer as an intermediate material.] 
[8.1. Where Article 3.c) ([Goods produced in the territory of 
one or more Parties from originating and non-originating materials or 
exclusively from non-originating materials]) applies, whether or not the 
conditions specified in the annex are met, the carrying out of one or more of 
 the following operations or processes [among others,] shall be considered 
insufficient to confer origin: 
 
 
9.1. [In order for originating goods to receive preferential 
treatment, they must have been shipped directly from the exporting Party to the 
importing Party. For such purpose, direct shipment shall be considered:  
 
[9.1. A good shall not be considered to be originating if, 
subsequent to its production, the good undergoes further production or any other 
operation outside the territories of the Parties, other than unloading, 
reloading or any other operation necessary to preserve it in good condition or 
to transport the good to the territory of the other Party, provided that these 
activities take place under the vigilance of customs authorities.] 
10.1. For purposes of this Chapter the basis for tariff 
classification is the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System and its 
updates. 
[11.1. The Parties create the Rules of Origin Committee, 
comprising representatives from each Party, which shall meet at least twice a 
year, and at the request of any Party. 
11.5. The Committee shall: 
 
11.3. The Parties shall consult regularly to ensure that this 
Chapter is administered effectively, uniformly and consistently with the spirit 
and objectives of this Agreement, and shall cooperate in the administration of 
this Chapter.  
11.4. Any Party that considers that this Chapter requires 
modification to take into account developments in production processes or other 
matters may submit to the consideration of the Committee a proposed modification 
along with supporting rationale and any studies that support it. The Committee 
shall present a report to the Commission for making the pertinent 
recommendations to the Parties.] 
11.5. [The Specific Rules of Origin may be subject to 
technical modifications by the Rules of Origin Committee. The Parties will 
define by common agreement the procedures, time periods, and requirements for 
the establishment and revision of Specific Rules of Origin. In this respect, the 
level of development of the Parties shall be taken into account.] 
[11.6. Cases of non-compliance for justified reasons.]  
[The Parties establish the Committee for Regional Integration 
of Inputs (CRII), the aim of which is to assess cases of non-compliance with a 
rule of origin, because of the inability of a producer of goods to obtain in the 
territory of Parties under conditions of timeliness, volume, quantity and price, 
the materials used by the producer in the production of a good.  
The Committee for Regional Integration of Inputs shall be 
formed and shall be subject by the procedures stipulated in Annex XX]. 
SPECIFIC RULES OF ORIGIN 
(to be defined)] 
 
 
Chapter X 
 
      
 
            
            
            1 The progress made in the concept of accumulation is given in Article 5 - Accumulation of this Chapter.  
 
     
 
            
            
            2 The definition of the concept of aquaculture is given in Article 1 - Definitions of this Chapter. 
 
     
 
            
            
            3 [ This text in brackets is linked to the 
definition of territory which, by being cross cutting, will have to be 
coordinated with other FTAA entities.] 
 
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