India and MERCOSUR sign the first additional protocol to facilitate electronic certificates of origin under their preferential trade arrangement. The protocol is aimed at supporting paperless trade by amending existing rules related to origin documentation.
According to the reporting, the additional protocol modifies Article 16 of Annex III, which sets out the rules of origin for the preferential agreement. This change is designed to accommodate electronic certificates of origin within the framework previously governed by the Annex’s procedures.
The outlets align on the core outcome: an initial protocol is introduced to enable electronic origin certification between India and MERCOSUR and to update the relevant legal text governing those certificates. The focus differs slightly in emphasis, with one source explicitly describing the protocol as the first additional step and highlighting the specific amendment to Article 16, while another frames it more broadly as a move toward paperless trade through electronic documentation.
