Which international agreement is cited as referring to Rules of Origin?

• A. Economic Partnership Agreement
• B. World Trade Organization Agreement
• C. Caribbean Free Trade Agreement
• D. North American Free Trade Agreement

Answer: (A)

Rules of Origin are the criteria that determine whether a product can receive tariff preferences under a trade agreement by showing where it was made or substantially transformed. The Economic Partnership Agreement is the one most clearly tied to these rules, because it spell out exactly how a product must originate in the signatory regions to qualify for duty-free or reduced-tariff treatment. It sets out origin criteria, such as what constitutes substantial transformation and any regional content requirements, and it includes the procedures for certifying and proving origin. The World Trade Organization governs broad, non-discriminatory trade rules rather than the specific origin rules attached to a particular preferential deal, so it doesn’t serve as the reference for RoO in the same way. Other regional agreements also use Rules of Origin, but in this context the EPA is the agreement that is cited for origin requirements.