Country of manufacture is what matters — not country of brand, country of MTR issuance, or country of distributor. A pipe branded by a global manufacturer is compliant only if it was manufactured (or substantially transformed) in a TAA designated country. Always verify the MTR for country of origin and the mill of manufacture.

Substantial transformation: A product is compliant if it was substantially transformed in a designated country — meaning it underwent a fundamental change in name, character, or use. Pipe rolled in South Korea from Chinese steel billet = Korean pipe (compliant). Chinese pipe shipped through a third country with value-added work = likely still Chinese (non-compliant). See the Key Concepts tab.