New, used, or neither? Why remanufactured goods get stuck at the border

An article published in this issue concerning a Court ruling on the import of worn clothing from the United Kingdom revealed a problem: the CTH rule of origin for heading 6309 under the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement exists in theory but cannot be applied in practice, because the only route from HS Chapters 61/62 to heading 6309 is the wearing of garments — and wearing is not production. In the case of remanufactured goods, the problem is analogous but arises from a different angle: here, production genuinely takes place; it is complex and value-adding, yet the traditional rules of origin are not suited to it. In both cases, the existing rules of international trade were not designed for such goods, and this has significant practical consequences for importers and exporters.