DGFT Warns Exporters Against Manual Certificates of Origin, Calls for Compliance

New Delhi, Feb 12 (KNN) The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has issued Trade Notice No. 28/2024-25, urging exporters, trade bodies, and relevant agencies to comply with electronic issuance of Certificates of Origin (CoO) through the eCoO 2.0 platform.

Despite prior directives in Trade Notices No. 36/2023-2024 and No. 24/2024-25, reports indicate that some agencies continue to issue manual CoOs.

The DGFT has warned that manually issued certificates beyond the stipulated deadline will be considered null and void.

Furthermore, Indian trade and customs authorities abroad have been notified, and partner countries may reject CoOs that violate these guidelines.

Exporters are advised not to accept manual certificates, and information on non-compliance should be reported to tradeconnect-dgft@gov.in.

The notice also states that agencies violating the guidelines may face removal from the list of authorised CoO issuers.

This directive underscores the government's commitment to streamlining trade processes through digital platforms and ensuring adherence to electronic certification mandates.

For further details, stakeholders are encouraged to refer to official DGFT communications at https://www.trade.gov.in.

(KNN Bureau)