What are the rules of origin and regional content provisions of NAFTA?
Answer: Because NAFTA is a free trade agreement and not a customs union, each country sets its own tariffs for the rest of the world. Rules of origin ensure that only goods that have been the subject of substantial economic activity within the free trade area are eligible for the more liberal tariff conditions created by NAFTA. According to regional content rules, at least 50 percent of the net cost of most products must come from the NAFTA region. The exceptions are 55 percent for footwear, 62.5 percent for passenger automobiles and light trucks and the engines and transmissions for such vehicles, and 60 percent for other vehicles and automotive parts.