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.
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