USMCA

USMCA is the trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Goods that genuinely originate in one of the three countries can enter the others at a reduced or zero duty rate — but only if they meet USMCA's rules of origin, and only if the preference is actually claimed at entry. Skip the claim, and customs charges the standard rate regardless of whether the goods would have qualified.

How to determine if you can claim it 

1. Classify the good. Get its 10-digit HTS number right — the origin analysis depends entirely on this.
2. Check whether it actually counts as "made in" the U.S., Mexico, or Canada. Shipping from Mexico or Canada doesn't make something originating there. Roughly: it qualifies if it was grown or fully produced in one of the three countries with no foreign inputs, or if it was manufactured there using foreign parts that were changed enough — either the finished product's classification code differs from the foreign parts that went into it, or enough of its value comes from North American labor/materials. The exact rule depends on the HTS code, so check it before assuming.
3. Know the small-exception rule. A little foreign content can still qualify if it's 10% or less of total value (a few exceptions apply for agricultural goods).
4. Under $2,500, you're covered by the simplified route. No formal Certificate of Origin required — just a written statement confirming the goods qualify under USMCA's rules of origin, with backup proof on hand in case CBP asks. A full certificate is fine too, just not required at this value.
5. Keep your paperwork — invoices, supplier info, production records — in case CBP requests it after the fact.

Source: trade.gov/usmca

Status check (August 2026) 

USMCA's mandatory review happened July 1, 2026. The U.S. didn't agree to renew it as-is, but it's still in effect while the three countries keep negotiating. The rules above still apply — worth rechecking periodically as this develops.