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ARTICLE · 24 OCTOBER 2016

Making NAFTA Relevant Again! A Look At Certificates Of Origin

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With all this talk about NAFTA, it is also a time for Canadian importers to review their NAFTA certificates of origin.

CanadaInternational Law
Cyndee Todgham Cherniak
Cyndee Todgham Cherniak
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Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton talked about the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) during the U.S. Presidential Debate on September 26th.  Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton spoke about NAFTA during the primaries and on the campaign trail.  NAFTA is relevant again!  This is good for customs lawyers and trade lawyers.  With all this talk about NAFTA, it is also a time for Canadian importers to review their NAFTA certificates of origin.

One of the  most common misconceptions about NAFTA is that “all goods purchased from the United States are duty free under NAFTA”.  This is NOT CORRECT!  Only goods that qualify as “originating goods” are entitled to duty-free treatment under NAFTA.

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