If you sell on eBay and ship internationally — or even if you've just noticed a new "Country of Origin" field in your listings — you're not imagining things. eBay has made major changes to how it handles country of origin data, and getting it right matters more than ever.
What Changed?
In mid-2025, eBay began enforcing Country of Origin (previously called "Country/Region of Manufacture") as a required item specific for listings that ship to the United States. The biggest changes:
- "Unknown" is no longer accepted — eBay removed the option to select "Unknown" in most categories
- The field was renamed — It's now "Country of Origin," defined as where the finished item was manufactured, produced, or grown (not where you ship from)
- eBay auto-populates it — eBay has started filling in Country of Origin on listings where it thinks it has reliable data, but these entries are often inaccurate
This wasn't a random policy update. It was driven by a major shift in US trade policy.
Why This Happened: The De Minimis Change
On August 29, 2025, the US suspended the de minimis exemption — the rule that previously allowed international shipments under $800 to enter the country duty-free. Now every international shipment to the US is subject to tariffs and customs clearance, regardless of value.
That means customs needs to know where your item was made to calculate the correct duty rate. Country of Origin is no longer a nice-to-have. It's required data for every cross-border transaction.
Who Does This Affect?
This is especially important if you sell internationally. If any of these apply to you, pay attention:
- You ship items to buyers outside your home country
- You use eBay's Global Shipping Program (GSP)
- Your listings are visible to international buyers
- You source products from overseas manufacturers
For domestic-only US sellers shipping within the US, Country of Origin is currently listed as "suggested" rather than required in most categories. But eBay has signaled it may become mandatory across the board, and having it filled in now avoids issues if your listing is purchased by an international buyer.
How to Add Country of Origin to Your Listings
Single Listings
- Open your listing in the listing editor
- Scroll to Item Specifics
- Find the "Country/Region of Origin" or "Country of Origin" field
- Enter the country where the item was manufactured or produced
Bulk Editing
For larger inventories, use Seller Hub:
- Go to Seller Hub > Manage Active Listings
- Select the listings you want to update
- Click Edit > Edit Selected
- Choose Item Specifics and find the Country of Origin field
- Update and save
Pro tip: Batch your listings by country of manufacture. If you have 50 items made in China and 30 made in the US, update each group separately for efficiency.
CSV Upload
For large-scale updates, export your listings to CSV, update the Country of Origin column, and re-upload through Seller Hub. Click Download results after upload to verify the changes took effect.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Trusting eBay's Auto-Populated Data
eBay has been automatically filling in Country of Origin on some listings, but sellers have reported widespread inaccuracies. An item manufactured in China might get tagged as "United States," which could create real problems — the FTC has been cracking down on false "Made in USA" claims.
Always review eBay's auto-populated entries. Your own data overrides eBay's, so set it manually to be safe.
2. Confusing "Ships From" With "Made In"
Country of Origin means where the product was manufactured, produced, or grown. If you're a UK seller shipping a product that was made in China, the Country of Origin is China — not the UK. Getting this wrong affects the tariff rate applied.
3. Ignoring It on Used or Vintage Items
Even for used, vintage, or pre-owned items, eBay expects a Country of Origin. Check the item label, manufacturer info, or do a quick lookup. If the item is truly unknown and the category allows it, you may need to research the brand's manufacturing history.
What Happens If You Don't Comply?
The consequences are real:
- Lost visibility — Listings without Country of Origin may not be shown to US buyers
- GSP exclusion — Items may be blocked from eBay's Global Shipping Program
- Listing restrictions — Sellers in certain countries face restrictions on high-value listings ($500+) shipping to the US
- Buyer disputes — Incorrect country data can lead to "Item Not As Described" claims
The Current Tariff Landscape (March 2026)
After the Supreme Court struck down IEEPA tariffs in February 2026, the US currently has a flat 10% import surcharge under Section 122 of the Trade Act. This applies to all imports regardless of origin. However:
- The de minimis exemption remains suspended — every international shipment needs customs data
- The 10% surcharge expires in July 2026 unless Congress extends it
- Country-specific tariff rates could return at any time
This means Country of Origin data remains critical for customs compliance, even under the current flat-rate tariff.
Track It All in One Place
Between eBay fees, shipping costs, tariffs, and sourcing expenses, international selling has a lot of moving parts. Accurate record-keeping is the difference between knowing your real margins and guessing at them.
Make sure you're tracking all your costs — not just the obvious ones. Use our free eBay profit calculator to see what you actually keep after fees, or check out our guide on how to track your eBay reselling profits. And see if you're making any of the 5 inventory mistakes that cost resellers money.
Want to track your full cost of goods, fees, and profit per item? Try BinFlip free for 14 days.