Circular No.ES/294/2019-20 30th March, 2020
To: Members of the Council
Sub.:Retrospective Issuance of Certificates of Origin under India's Trade Agreements
Dear Member,
We would like to inform you that DGFT has issued Trade Notice No.59/2019-2020 dated 28th March, 2020 regarding retrospective issuance of Certificates of Origin under India's Trade Agreements.
On account of the lockdown in India due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian agencies authorised, in accordance with Para 2.103 of Handbook of Procedures 2015-2020, to issue the Certificate of Origin under India’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreements (CECA), Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPA) and Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) are temporarily closed and unable to issue the Certificate of Origin.
In view of these exceptional circumstances, the certificates would be issued retrospectively by the concerned Indian agencies after they open their offices.
Therefore, in the interim period, DGFT has requested the customs authorities and other competent authorities in the trading partners with whom India has a trade agreement to allow the eligible imports under preferences on a retrospective basis subject to the subsequent production of the certificates of origin by the Indian exporters.
Please note that India would also stand ready to honour its preferential trade agreement imports subject to the respective governments also making a formal request or putting up a notice in this regard.
Members may kindly make a note of the above.
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully,
S. BALARAJU
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
