The manufacturing process is the controlling criterion: forged bars are shaped by compressive force (hammer or press forging) rather than by passing through rolling mills. Forged bars typically show a worked surface without the scale pattern of hot-rolling and may have non-uniform cross-sections along their length. A manufacturer's process declaration or forging certificate is the primary evidence for this classification distinction.

Given that China is the leading declared supplier and that forged steel bars are subject to Section 232 tariffs and potential AD/CVD scrutiny, importers should obtain mill certificates confirming chemical composition, mechanical properties (yield and tensile strength, hardness), and the forging process used. Country-of-origin documentation must clearly establish that the forging operation — not merely finishing — occurred in China, as substantial transformation rules apply.