New Delhi, Oct. 29 -- The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on Tuesday amended procedural norms to allow domestic exporters to self-declare the Certificate of Origin (CoO) under the India-EFTA free trade agreement.

The free trade agreement between India and the European Free Trade Association-which includes Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein-officially took effect on October 1.

A CoO is required to claim tariff concessions under free trade agreements, as it certifies the originating country of goods.

Until now, Indian exporters could only obtain this document through authorised agencies.

According to a public notice issued by the DGFT, a paragraph in the Handbook of Procedures 2023 has been revised "to facilitat...