Country of Origin

Manufacturer Identification (MID)

Also known as: MID · Manufacturer ID · Manufacturer Identification Code

A standardized 15-character code constructed from the manufacturer's country, name, and address — required on every U.S. entry summary.

Manufacturer Identification (MID) is a standardized 15-character code that identifies the manufacturer or shipper of imported merchandise. It must be reported on every entry summary and is constructed by CBP rules under 19 CFR § 102.23 and the CATAIR Manufacturer/Shipper Identification chapter.

The MID is built from the manufacturer's:

  1. Country of origin — ISO 2-character country code
  2. Name — first three letters of the first two "words" of the manufacturer's name (up to 6 characters)
  3. Address — first three digits of the largest street number plus first three letters of the city name (up to 6 characters)

For example: a manufacturer named "Acme Industries Ltd." located at "123 Main Street, Shenzhen, China" would have MID "CNACMIND123SHE".

Rules for constructing the MID:

  • Use only English letters and numbers — punctuation, spaces, and non-English characters are stripped
  • Limit to 15 characters total
  • Where the first word of the name is a generic descriptor like "The," "A," or "Le," skip to the next word

The MID is not an importer of record number, a CBP-issued identifier, or an account number — it is purely a derived identifier built from the manufacturer's information. The same manufacturer should have the same MID across all entries; mismatched MIDs for the same manufacturer can trigger CBP queries.

The MID is critical for:

  • Antidumping and countervailing duty assessment — rates are typically assigned per manufacturer/exporter, and the MID identifies which rate applies
  • Section 301 and Section 232 exclusion claims — the MID confirms the producer matches the exclusion grant
  • UFLPA and forced-labor enforcement — CBP uses MID data to track suspect manufacturers
  • Trade statistics and enforcement targeting

For goods sourced through trading companies, the MID of the actual manufacturer (not the middleman) is required. Reporting the middleman MID when the actual manufacturer is known is a § 1592 violation.

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Related Terms

Country of Origin

The country where an article was wholly obtained or last substantially transformed — determines duty rates, marking, trade remedies, and FTA eligibility.

Entry Summary (CBP Form 7501)

The primary customs document declaring the value, classification, origin, and duties owed for goods imported into the U.S.

Antidumping Duty

A duty imposed on imported goods sold in the United States at less than fair value, when those imports cause or threaten material injury to a domestic industry.

Section 301 Tariffs

Punitive tariffs imposed by USTR under the Trade Act of 1974 to address unfair foreign trade practices — most prominently against China since 2018.

Country of Origin Marking

The physical labeling of imported goods to indicate the country of origin to the ultimate purchaser — required by 19 U.S.C. § 1304.

Marking Statute (19 U.S.C. § 1304)

The federal statute requiring every imported article to be marked with its country of origin to inform the ultimate purchaser — with a 10% ad valorem marking duty for violations.
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