The government has temporarily suspended a provision that mandatorily requires certificate of origin (COO) in trade between Nepal and India. The COO is a compulsory document that traders are required to acquire for foreign trade.
However, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies has informed that the mandatory necessity of COO has been suspended for Nepal-India trade temporarily amid the ongoing crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, COO is still mandatory in trade with countries beyond India, as per MoICS officials.
The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) issues COO to traders for trade with India, while the Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Confederation of Nepalese Industries issue the certificate to traders for trade with different other countries.
FNCCI officials said that they have not issued any COO to traders since almost two weeks as the two countries are into trade of only essential goods.
Nabaraj Dhakal, joint secretary at MoICS, said that the provision requiring COO for trade with India has been suspended temporarily amid the ongoing emergency situation.
“However, traders should acquire all the necessary documents, including the COO, for trade with any country once the situation becomes normal,” he added.
