India Begins Accepting Electronic Certificate of Origin from Mauritius Under Bilateral CECPA

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has notified that the Indian Customs has officially begun accepting Electronic Certificates of Origin (e-CoO) issued by Mauritius under the India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA).

It allows Indian importers to present digitally signed Certificates of Origin from the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) to claim preferential tariff benefits under CECPA.

To be considered valid, the e-CoO must:

• Be in the prescribed format,
• Bear the official seal and digital signature of the authorized MRA official,
• Comply with the requirements of Notification No. 38/2021-Customs (N.T.) dated 31.03.2021,
• Be uploaded to India’s e-Sanchit portal, and
• Be referenced correctly in the Bill of Entry.

Indian Customs officials will verify these certificates using a unique reference number (URN) or through the QR code, with additional authentication available via the MRA’s online verification portal.

With this, Mauritius joins the list of countries whose e-CoOs are recognized by Indian Customs, including:

• Japan (India-Japan CEPA),
• South Korea (India-Korea CEPA via EODES),
• Sri Lanka (India-Sri Lanka FTA),
• United Arab Emirates (India-UAE CEPA with e-signature),
• Australia (India-Australia ECTA),
• Indonesia, and others.

This move is part of India’s broader push toward digital trade facilitation, aimed at enhancing transparency, reducing clearance times, and cutting down bureaucratic red tape. By accepting e-CoOs from partner countries, India continues to align itself with global best practices in paperless trade.

Read More: Siddaramaiah Assures Relief to Small Traders Over GST Notices; Protests Called Off

• Author
• Recent Posts

Mariya Paliwala

Mariya is the Senior Editor at Juris Hour. She has 5+ years of experience on covering tax litigation stories from the Supreme Court, High Courts and various tribunals including CESTAT, ITAT, NCLAT, NCLT, etc. Mariya graduated from MLSU Law College, Udaipur (Raj.) with B.A.LL.B. and also holds an LL.M. She started as a freelance tax reporter in the leading online legal news companies like LiveLaw & Taxscan.

Latest posts by Mariya Paliwala (see all)

• P&H HC Warns DGGI, Declares GST Arrest Illegal: 30-Hour Custody, CCTV Surveillance Guidelines Ignored, Statement Taken At Night And So On - August 2, 2025
• CA Raises Alarm Over Rs. 5K Late Fee in ITR Filing Despite Deadline Extension - August 2, 2025
• ED Conducts First-Ever Search in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Unearths Rs. 500 Cr Loan Scam Linked to Ex-MP - August 2, 2025