FTA Concepts: Wholly Obtained

A good is wholly obtained if produced entirely in the territory of one or more of the FTA countries as referenced in the FTA Rules of Origin Chapter. The purchase of a good in the territory does not necessarily render it wholly obtained or produced. This type of FTA qualification often applies to commodities. Some examples include corn from Iowa, coal mined in Wyoming, apples from Washington, fish from North American waters brought in by a U.S. fishing vessel, and even a moon rock retrieved by a U.S. astronaut.

Please consult the specific FTA you are researching in its Rules of Origin chapter. Many U.S. FTAs define “wholly obtained” as:

(a) plants and plant products harvested or gathered in the territory of one or more of the Parties;

(b) live animals born and raised in the territory of one or more of the Parties;

(d) goods obtained from hunting, trapping, fishing, or aquaculture conducted in the territory of one or more of the Parties;

(e) minerals and other natural resources not included in subparagraphs (a) through (d) extracted or taken from the territory of one or more of the Parties;

(f) fish, shellfish, and other marine life taken from the sea, seabed, or subsoil outside the territory of one or more of the Parties by vessels registered or recorded with a Party and flying its flag;

(g) goods produced on board factory ships from the goods referred to in subparagraph

(f), provided such factory ships are registered or recorded with that Party and fly its flag;

(h) goods taken by a Party or a person of a Party from the seabed or subsoil outside territorial waters, provided that a Party has rights to exploit such seabed or subsoil;

(i) goods taken from outer space, provided they are obtained by a Party or a person of a Party and not processed in the territory of a non-Party;

(j) waste and scrap derived from:

(i) manufacturing or processing operations in the territory of one or more of the Parties, or

(ii) used goods collected in the territory of one or more of the Parties, provided such goods are fit only for the recovery of raw materials;

(k) recovered goods derived in the territory of one or more of the Parties from used goods and utilized in the territory of one or more of the Parties in the production of remanufactured goods; and

(l) goods produced in the territory of one or more of the Parties exclusively from goods referred to in subparagraphs (a) through (j), or from their derivatives, at any stage of production;