NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
> Field Guide

back to NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)

Field 1 - Exporter's Name & Address
State the full legal name, address (including country) and legal tax identification number of the exporter. Legal tax identification number is: in Canada, employer number or importer/exporter number assigned by Revenue Canada; in Mexico, federal taxpayer's registry number (RFC) ; and in the United States , employer's identification number or Social Security Number.

Field 2 - Blanket Period
Complete field if the Certificate covers multiple shipments of identical goods as described in Field 5 that are imported into a NAFTA country for a specified period of up to one year (blanket period). "FROM" is the date upon which the Certificate becomes applicable to the good covered by the blanket Certificate (it may be prior to the date of signing this Certificate). "TO" is the date upon which the blanket period expires. The importation of a good for which preferential tariff treatment is claimed based on this Certificate must occur between these dates.

Field 3 - Producer's Name & Address
State the full legal name, address (including country) and legal tax identification number, as defined in Field 1, of the producer. If more than one producer's good is included on the Certificate, attach a list of the additional producers, including the legal name, address (including country) and legal tax identification number, cross referenced to the good described in Field 5. If you wish this information to be confidential, it is acceptable to state "Available to Customs upon request". If the producer and the exporter are the same complete field with "SAME". If the producer is unknown, it is acceptable to state "UNKNOWN".

Field 4 - Importer's Name & Address
State the full legal name, address (including country) and legal tax identification number, as defined in Field 1, of the importer. If importer is not known, state "UNKNOWN"; if multiple importers, state "VARIOUS".

Field 5 - Description
Provide a full description of each good. The description should be sufficient to relate it to the invoice description and to the Harmonized System (HS) description of the good. If the Certificate covers a single shipment of a good, include the invoice number as shown on the commercial invoice. If not known, indicate another unique reference number, such as the shipping order number.

Field 6 - Tariff
For each good described in Field 5, identify the HS tariff classification to six digits. If the good is subject to a specific rule of origin in Annex 401 that requires eight digits, identify to eight digits, using the HS tariff classification of the country into whose territory the good is imported.

Field 7 - Preference Criteria
Utilize one of the selections from "A" to "F" which best describes how the goods qualify for the NAFTA Agreement, based upon the origin of the goods or the various components or parts which make up the described goods. Any reference to specific Articles or Annexes are highlighted and can be clicked on with your mouse to obtain the wording of these regulations.

A. The product is wholly obtained or produced entirely" in the territory of one or more of the NAFTA countries, as referred to in Article 415. Note: The purchase of a product in the territory does not necessarily render it "wholly obtained or produced ". If it is an agricultural product, see also criterion F and Annex 703.2. (Reference: Article 401(a) and Article 415)

B. The product is produced entirely in the territory of one or more of the NAFTA countries and satisfies the specific rule of origin, set out in Annex 401, that applies to its tariff class. The rule may include a tariff class change, regional value-content requirement or a combination thereof. The product must also satisfy all other applicable requirements of Chapter four. If it is an agricultural product, see also criterion "F" and Annex 703.2. (Reference Article 401(c))

C. The product is produced entirely in the territory of one or more of the NAFTA countries exclusively from originating materials. Under this criterion, one or more of the materials may not fall within the definition of "wholly produced or obtained", as set out in Article 415. All materials used in the production of the product must qualify as "originating" by meeting the rules of Article 401(a) through (d). If it is an agricultural product, see also criterion "F" and Annex 703.2 (Reference: Article 401(c))

D. The goods are produced in the territory of one or more of the NAFTA countries but do not meet the applicable rule of origin, set out in Annex 401, because certain non originating materials do not undergo the required change in tariff class. The goods do nonetheless meet the regional value-content requirement specified in Article 401(d). This criterion is limited to the following two circumstances:

1. The product was imported into the territory of a NAFTA country in an unassembled or disassembled form but was classified as an assembled good, pursuant to HS General Rule of Interpretation 2(a): or

2. The product incorporated one or more non-originating materials, provided for as parts under the HS, which could not undergo a change in tariff classification because the heading provided for both the product and its part and was not further subdivided into subheadings, or the subheading provided for both the product and its parts and was not further subdivided. NOTE: This criterion does not apply to Chapter 61 through 63 of the Harmonized Tariff (Reference: Article 401(d))

E. Certain automatic data processing goods and their parts, specified in Annex 308.1 that do not originate in the territory are considered originating upon importation into the territory of a NAFTA country from the territory of another NAFTA country when the Most-Favoured-Nation Tariff rate of the good conforms to the rate established in Annex 308.1 and is common to all NAFTA countries. (Reference: Annex 308.1)

F. The product is an originating agricultural good under preference criterion A, B or C above and is not subject to a quantitative restriction in the importing NAFTA country because it is a "qualifying good" as defined in Annex 703.2, section A or Annex 703.2, section B (please specify). A product listed in Appendix 703.2.B.7 is also exempt from quantitative restrictions and is eligible for NAFTA preferential tariff treatment if it meets the definition of "qualifying good" in Annex 703.2, section A.

1. This criterion does not apply to goods that wholly originate in Canada or the United States and are imported into either country.
2. A tariff rate quota is not a quantitative restriction.

Field 8 - Producer

Field 9 - Net Cost
Designation Explanation

NA Apply this code if there is no Regional Value Content requirement per the regulations.

NO Use this designation if the product declared in Field 5 does have a Regional Value Content (RVC) requirement, and the Transaction Value Method is used as outlined in the regulations.

NC Apply this designation if there is a Regional Value Content (RVC) requirement to the goods described in Field 5 and the Net Cost Method is used. Further, if the RVC is calculated using the Net Cost Method over a specific time frame enter the beginning and ending dates in this format (DD/MM/YY).

Field 10 - Country of Origin
Designation Explanation

US This will indicate that the goods were produced within the United States and considered originating per the regulations and any subsequent processing in another NAFTA country did not exceed 7%.

MX This will indicate that the goods were produced within Mexico and considered originating per the regulations and any subsequent processing in another NAFTA country did not exceed 7%.

CA This will indicate that the goods were produced within Canada and considered originating per the regulations and any subsequent processing in another NAFTA country did not exceed 7%.

JNT This will indicate that the goods were produced jointly by two or more NAFTA countries prior to export.