India, Mercosur ink pact for electronic origin certificates

New Delhi: India and the five-member Mercosur bloc have signed an agreement to accept Certificates of Origin in electronic form instead of only paper documents, in a move aimed at facilitating paperless trade between the two sides, the commerce and industry ministry said Monday. Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay are Mercosur members. The certificate is a proof to be able to seek duty concessions under a trade deal.

“India and Mercosur signed the first additional protocol to the India–Mercosur Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to facilitate acceptance of electronic Certificates of Origin, marking an important step towards facilitating paperless trade and modernising customs procedures,” the ministry said.

As per the statement, the signing provides that Certificates of Origin issued in electronic format shall have the same legal validity and identical value as those issued in paper format.


The electronic certificates will be required to be issued and electronically signed in accordance with the respective domestic legislation of the two sides.

“The move is expected to facilitate the transition towards digital and paperless trade documentation, reduce transaction costs and processing time associated with the issuance and verification of Certificates of Origin, and improve the efficiency of preferential trade under the existing India-Mercosur PTA,” it added.

The protocol will come into force upon completion of the respective internal procedures by India and the Mercosur parties and notification of the same to each other.