By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JAN 28, 2025: THE Directorate General of Foreign Trade (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. This upgraded platform offers several user-friendly features, such as multi-user access, which enables exporters to authorize multiple users under a single Importer Exporter Code (IEC). Additionally, the system now supports Aadhaar-based e-signing alongside digital signature tokens, providing greater flexibility. An integrated dashboard offers exporters seamless access to eCoO services, Free Trade Agreement (FTA) information, trade events, and other resources. The platform also introduces an in-lieu Certificate of Origin feature, allowing exporters to request corrections to previously issued certificates through an easy online application process.

As of 1st January 2025, the electronic filing of Non-Preferential Certificates of Origin has become mandatory via the eCoO 2.0 platform, and is available to exporters at https:// trade.gov.in under the "Get Certificate of Origin" section. This trade facilitation initiative has been streamlining the certification process, and improving turnaround times for exporters, marking a significant advancement in enhancing the Ease of Doing Business. The platform processes over 7,000 eCoOs daily, including both preferential and non-preferential certificates, connecting 125 issuing agencies which includes 110 national and regional chambers of commerce & industry, over 650 issuing officers and all Indian exporters under one unified system.

Reference Public Notice 43/2024-25 dated 27.01.2025, DGFT has introduced the procedure for availing online Back-to-Back Certificates of Origin (Non-Preferential). 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. This initiative not only simplifies the certification process but also accelerates processing times, making it particularly beneficial for global supply chains involving intermediary trade through India. The enhanced eCoO 2.0 system underscores DGFT's commitment to facilitating trade and improving the Ease of Doing Business for Indian exporters.