DGFT upgrades platform for issuing electronic certificate of origin

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the commerce ministry, has launched an upgraded system for issuance of electronically generated certificate of origin to help exporters, an official statement said on Monday.

Certificate of origin is a key document required for exports to those countries with which India has trade agreements. An exporter has to submit the certificate at the landing port of the importing country.

The document is important to claim duty concessions under free trade agreements. This certificate is essential to prove where the goods come from.

The commerce ministry said this upgraded platform offers features such as multi-user access, which enables exporters to authorise multiple users under a single Importer Exporter Code (IEC).

Additionally, the system now supports Aadhaar-based e-signing alongside digital signature tokens.

"The DGFT has launched the enhanced Certificate of Origin (eCoO) 2.0 system, a significant upgrade designed to simplify the certification process for exporters and enhance trade efficiency," it said.

From January 2025, the electronic filing of non-preferential certificates of origin has become mandatory through this platform.

"This trade facilitation initiative has been streamlining the certification process, and improving turnaround times for exporters," the ministry said, adding that the platform processes over 7,000 certificates per day.

These certificates cater to goods not of Indian origin, intended for re-export, trans-shipment, or merchanting trade.

"Issued based on documentary evidence from the foreign country of origin, the Back-to-Back CoO ensures transparency and accuracy by explicitly mentioning details of the origin and supporting documents," it said.