Non-preferential Rules of Origin: “When you turn your back on an issue – it only gets bigger!”

The following article is not intended to be a scholarly or even comprehensive review of past or current activities under the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Rules of Origin, or a detailed analysis of the differences between preferential versus non-preferential rules of origin (which I am assuming most readers of this magazine already understand). Rather, this article offers more of a personal and subjective perspective on the problems associated with non-preferential rules, and humbly proposes possible approaches and options to minimize these problems, or at least stimulate discussions about potential remedies. These options are largely based on the perceived structure and architecture of the issues.