Context: Recently, the Federation of Indian Exports Organization (FIEO) has introduced the facility of issuing digital certificate of origin in order to address the challenges faced by the exporters during lockdown to obtain Certificate of Origin (CoO).
About the certificate

• The certificate will be provided through its online system to both non-preferential and preferential, for which it is authorized.
• The online certificate is expected to reduce the transaction time and cost to exporters.
• Such a facility will help exporters to send CoO electronically to buyers to help them clear the consignment particularly as most of the courier companies are not operating in the country.

About Preferential and Non Preferential certificate

• A preferential certificate of origin is a document attesting that goods in a particular shipment are of a certain origin under the definitions of a particular bilateral or multilateral free trade agreement. This certificate is usually required by the importing country's customs authority in deciding whether the imports should benefit from preferential treatment allowed under the applicable agreement. Unlike non-preferential certificate of origin which often indicates only the country of origin in its title, a preferential certificate will indicate at the top of the document under which trade agreement it is issued.
• Where as the Non-preferential certificate of origin is the form of certificate issued for the purpose of complying with non-preferential rules of origin. This type of certificate basically certifies the country of origin of the product without allowing it to be entitled to preferential tariffs under preferential trade regimes. 

About Federation of Indian Exports Organization (FIEO)

• It is an apex body of the export promotion councils, commodity boards and export development authorities in India.
• It was established in 1965 and under the administrative control of Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• It is responsible for representing and assisting Indian entrepreneurs and exporters in foreign markets.
• It provides the crucial interface between international trading community of India & the Central and State Governments, financial institutions, ports, railways, surface transport and all engaged in export trade facilitation.
• In 2018, the Minister of Commerce and Industry launched the FIEO's Mobile App called 'NIRYAT MITRA'.The app provides wide range of information required to undertake international trade right from policy provisions for export and import, applicable GST rate, available export incentives, tariff, preferential tariff, market access requirements – SPS and TBT measures.