DGFT mandates electronic filing of India-Oman CEPA preferential CoO on Trade Connect from June 1
Exporters to Oman under CEPA must apply for the preferential CoO electronically on Trade Connect from June 1, 2026
Change
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) notified, in a Trade Notice dated 29 May 2026, that preferential Certificates of Origin under the India-Oman CEPA must be filed and issued as eCOO through the Trade Connect ePlatform (www.trade.gov.in) with effect from 1 June 2026, via a notified authorised agency.
Why it matters
From 1 June 2026, an exporter claiming India-Oman CEPA preference must apply for the Certificate of Origin on Trade Connect by selecting "India Oman CEPA (Agency Issued)" and a notified authorised agency, which approves and triggers a system-generated eCOO carrying a QR code and digital signature. Login uses existing DGFT credentials, but the user-profile name must match the Digital Signature Certificate name exactly and IEC details must be current, or selection during application fails. The eCOO replaces any manual issuance route for this preference.
Implications
- — Export documentation teams shipping to Oman under CEPA preference from 1 June 2026 must file each Certificate of Origin through the Trade Connect ePlatform under the "India Oman CEPA (Agency Issued)" agreement — no preferential CoO issues outside the platform from that date, so an off-platform request cannot support the tariff claim.
- — Exporters' IEC and DSC administrators must reconcile the Trade Connect user-profile name against the Digital Signature Certificate name and refresh IEC details before filing, because a name mismatch or stale IEC blocks agency and applicant selection during the eCOO application.
Who is affected
- — Export documentation teams handling India-to-Oman shipments claiming CEPA preferential tariff treatment
- — IEC and DSC administrators maintaining exporter profiles on the DGFT / Trade Connect ePlatform
What to watch
- — 1 June 2026: India-Oman CEPA enters into force and preferential eCOO issuance opens on Trade Connect — preferential CoO must be filed through the platform from this date.