June 12, 2025

International Trade Today Highlights importance of U.S. Rules of Origin

International Trade Today Highlights importance of U.S. Rules of Origin

We were delighted to see International Trade Today spotlight our recent webinar, “Rules, Risk and Reality: How EU Exporters Can Navigate the New US Trade Era,” held on May 30. The session explored the complex challenges that EU exporters face when navigating the shifting landscape of U.S. trade rules, particularly those surrounding country of origin, valuation, and customs enforcement.

In the article, International Trade Today quoted several of our expert panelists who shared firsthand insights on the difficulties EU exporters encounter when interpreting and complying with U.S. origin rules.

“There’s still a lot of uncertainty on how to react [to] this, from both sides,”
- Richard Loomans, Seichin Consulting

The article went on to highlight critical areas of compliance, including:

  • The disconnect between European-origin documentation and U.S. Customs expectations.
  • The enforcement pressure from CBP on accurate classification, valuation, and origin declarations.
  • Complications under the USMCA for goods in categories like electronics and vehicles.

“The complexity of those factors makes the rule of origin a very hard rule, because no one else uses our nebulous rule.”
- Mollie Sitkowski, Faegre Drinker

“We have seen a lot of people want to pull things out of value that shouldn’t be pulled out.”
- Bonnie Kersch, Magnolia Global Trade Solutions

Why This Matters

With trade policy and enforcement priorities shifting regularly, EU exporters and importers to the U.S. must stay alert. Rules of origin aren’t just about getting the paperwork right, they impact duty liability, legal compliance, and business continuity.

Our goal with this webinar was to equip companies with practical tools to manage risk and adapt to the current U.S. trade environment.

If you missed it, you can listen back here: https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/CEyWFQVcBWW25pZUwc_SqnTKU5rwTgne4A9W_CMR8tkyfPGUVmbDs-HbG8vOhh39.PEEabrEaaCCOdIBJ