DGFT Makes Digital Platform Mandatory for Certificate of Origin Issuance, Bans Manual Processing [Read Notification]

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has amended Para 2.90 of the Handbook of Procedures (HBP) 2023. The change has been notified through Public Notice dated 07 April 2026 and takes effect immediately.

The amendment focuses on the issuance of Certificates of Origin (CoO), a key document required in international trade to prove that goods exported from India originate in the country. This document helps exporters and importers claim duty benefits under trade agreements such as FTAs and PTAs.

Key changes introduced

The DGFT has introduced stricter rules for how CoOs are issued:

• Only authorised agencies listed under Appendix 2B, 2C, 2D, and 2E can issue Certificates of Origin
• All applications and issuance of CoOs must be done through the DGFT online platform
• The official portal mentioned is https://www.trade.gov.in or any other platform notified by DGFT
• Manual or offline issuance of CoOs is not allowed

The notification also makes it clear that if any authorised agency issues CoOs outside the designated digital platform, it may face revocation of its authorisation.

What remains unchanged

The basic structure of Certificates of Origin remains the same. There are still two categories:

• Preferential CoO, used under trade agreements
• Non-preferential CoO, used for general export purposes

The move is part of the government’s push towards digital trade facilitation and reducing misuse of export documents. By making the process fully online, DGFT aims to improve verification and traceability of export documents, reduce chances of fake or duplicate certificates and speed up processing for exporters

Impact on exporters

Exporters will now need to ensure that all Certificate of Origin applications are filed through the DGFT platform. Any reliance on manual processes or third-party offline systems will no longer be valid.

The “Effect of this Notification” section clearly states that authorised agencies can issue CoOs only through the designated electronic system, marking a complete shift to digital processing.