DGFT eCoO System Revision: Back-to-Back Certificates of Origin on Non-Indian Goods for Re-Export, Trans-Shipment and Merchant Trade
The Amendment comes amidst an Aadhaar-based e-signing system along with digital signature tokens, providing greater liberty to users
DGFT – Directorate General of Foreign Trade – eCoO System Revision – Trans-Shipment – Merchant Trade – taxscan
DGFT – Directorate General of Foreign Trade – eCoO System Revision – Trans-Shipment – Merchant Trade – taxscan
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade ( DGFT ) has issued a Public Notice on the 27th of January, 2025 proposing amendments to Paragraph 2.91 and 2.93 of the Handbook of Procedures 2023, with a notable change being the provision of back-to-back certificates of origin for non-Indian goods for the purposes of Re-Export, Trans-Shipment and Merchanting Trade.
The changes are poised to amp up India’s global supply chain operations with a specific reliance on intermediary trade facilitated through India. The process is eased through Aadhaar-based e-signing and digital signature token options, reducing the dependency on manual paperwork.
Exporters required to obtain a non-preferential Certificate of Origin (CoO) are required to submit their applications via https://trade.gov.in to the requisite agencies along with copy of invoice and packing list of the goods, along with the payment of a fee of ₹200 for each CoO.
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Agencies issuing the CoO are required to ensure that the concerned goods are of Indian origin for the issuance of a non-preferential Electronic Certificate of Origin (eCoO). If applicants seek corrections to be made to an existing eCoO, an online request for the same may be directed towards the issuing agency.
The Amendment has further removed the provision authorizing the Export Inspection Council to print blank certificates.
A notable inclusion purported by the amendment is the empowering of Agencies to issue Back-to-Back Certificates of Origin (non-preferential) for goods not of Indian origin for the purposes of re-export, trans-shipment and merchanting trade purposes. The Certificates may be issued on the basis of confirmation of documentary evidence regarding the goods’ proper place of origin which are to be mandatorily mentioned on the back-to-back CoO (non-preferential).
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The Public Notice has been undersigned by Santosh Kumar Sarangi, Director General of Foreign Trade and Ex-officio Addl. Secretary to the government of India would play a key role in streamlining the Certificate issuance process through the eCoO platform, assisting exporters in meeting stringent deadlines and shipping schedules.
To Read the full text of the Order CLICK HERE
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