India and MERCOSUR signed the First Additional Protocol to the India-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) on September 14, 2026, to facilitate acceptance of electronic Certificates of Origin. The protocol represents a significant step toward paperless trade and modernization of customs procedures between India and the MERCOSUR bloc, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The protocol specifically amends Article 16 of Annex III (Rules of Origin) of the PTA, establishing that Certificates of Origin issued in electronic format shall have the same legal validity and identical value as those issued in paper format. These electronic certificates must be issued and electronically signed in accordance with the respective domestic legislation of the parties by duly authorized entities and officials.
This initiative is expected to facilitate the transition to digital trade documentation, reduce transaction costs and processing time associated with the issuance and verification of Certificates of Origin, and improve the efficiency of preferential trade under the existing India-MERCOSUR PTA. The original PTA was signed on January 25, 2004, and entered into force on June 1, 2009, providing preferential tariff concessions on 450 tariff lines by India and 452 tariff lines by MERCOSUR.
The protocol follows discussions in the Joint Administrative Committee of the India-MERCOSUR PTA, with both sides supporting the update at the fourth meeting on November 27, 2025. The proposal was subsequently adopted by mutual consent at the fifth meeting of the Joint Administrative Committee held on April 9, 2026. The protocol will enter into force upon completion of the respective internal procedures by India and the MERCOSUR parties and notification of the same to each other.
The signing ceremony was attended by Commerce Secretary of India Shri Rajesh Agarwal, Ambassador of Uruguay to India H.E. Mr. Alberto Guani, Ambassador of Paraguay to India H.E. Mr. Fleming Raul Duarte Ramos, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay H.E. Mr. Mario Lubetkin, along with representatives from the Embassies of Argentina and Brazil.