India, MERCOSUR sign protocol to enable electronic Certificates of Origin
India and MERCOSUR have signed their first additional protocol to give electronic Certificates of Origin the same legal validity as paper certificates, advancing paperless trade.
The protocol was signed by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, Ambassador of Uruguay to India Alberto Guani and Ambassador of Paraguay to India Fleming Raul Duarte Ramos in the presence of Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin, representing the current Pro Tempore Presidency of MERCOSUR, in New Delhi on Monday.
NEW DELHI: India and MERCOSUR have signed the First Additional Protocol to the India–MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) to facilitate the acceptance of electronic Certificates of Origin, marking a step towards paperless trade and modernised customs procedures.
The protocol was signed by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal and Ambassador of Uruguay to India Alberto Guani and Ambassador of Paraguay to India Fleming Raul Duarte Ramos, in the presence of Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin, who is representing the current Pro Tempore Presidency of MERCOSUR in New Delhi on Monday. Representatives of the embassies of Argentina and Brazil were also present.
The India–MERCOSUR PTA was signed on January 25, 2004 and entered into force on June 1, 2009. The agreement provides preferential tariff concessions on 450 tariff lines by India and 452 tariff lines by the MERCOSUR side.
MERCOSUR, short for the Southern Common Market, is a regional economic and trade bloc in South America comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Established to promote the free movement of goods, services and factors of production among its members, the bloc also works to strengthen trade and economic integration among participating countries. India engages with MERCOSUR through the India–MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement, which provides preferential tariff concessions on selected products.
Under the First Additional Protocol, Article 16 of Annex III dealing with Rules of Origin has been amended to recognise electronically issued Certificates of Origin as having the same legal validity and identical value as paper certificates.
The electronic certificates will have to be issued and electronically signed in accordance with the respective domestic legislation of the parties by duly authorised entities and officials.
The move is expected to facilitate the transition to digital and paperless trade documentation while reducing transaction costs and processing time associated with the issuance and verification of Certificates of Origin. It is also expected to improve the efficiency of preferential trade under the existing PTA.
The initiative follows discussions in the Joint Administrative Committee of the India–MERCOSUR PTA. At its fourth meeting on November 27, 2025, both sides supported updating the agreement to facilitate digital Certificates of Origin. The proposal was subsequently adopted by mutual consent at the committee’s fifth meeting on April 9, 2026.
The protocol will come into force after India and the MERCOSUR parties complete their respective internal procedures and notify each other accordingly.
The signing underscores the commitment of India and MERCOSUR to strengthen trade facilitation, adopt modern customs practices and reinforce the institutional framework supporting bilateral trade.
It also marks a further step in India’s ongoing engagement with MERCOSUR to deepen and expand trade and economic ties.
