DGFT Notifies Certificate of Origin Issuers for India-New Zealand FTA

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Dated: 14.11.2026

DGFT Notifies Certificate of Origin Issuers for India-New Zealand FTA

India has added the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to its foreign-trade procedures and formally designated the authorities permitted to issue preferential Certificates of Origin for eligible exports.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, issued Public Notice No. 40/2026-27 on 13 November 2026. The notice amends the Handbook of Procedures, 2023 and Appendix 2B of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), 2023, establishing the administrative framework for Certificate of Origin issuance under the agreement.

India-New Zealand FTA formally recognized under trade procedures

The DGFT has inserted the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement as serial number xvii in paragraph 2.88(a) of the Handbook of Procedures, 2023. The addition places the agreement in the official list of FTAs for which preferential Certificates of Origin may be issued through India’s foreign-trade administration.

A preferential Certificate of Origin is a document that confirms that exported goods meet the origin requirements set out under a trade agreement. Where the agreement offers tariff preferences, the certificate can support an importer’s claim for preferential treatment, subject to the destination country’s customs procedures and the agreement’s applicable rules.

Authorized agencies for preferential Certificates of Origin

The public notice adds the India-New Zealand FTA to Appendix 2B, which identifies the authorized agencies that may issue preferential Certificates of Origin. The list includes both all-product authorities and agencies with sector-specific jurisdiction.

All-product issuing authorities

The following bodies may issue Certificates of Origin for all products under the India-New Zealand FTA:

Directorate General of Foreign Trade and its regional offices
Export Inspection Council and Export Inspection Agencies

These authorities provide a broad route for exporters, including those whose products are not allocated to a specialized issuing organization.

Sector-specific issuing authorities

For designated product categories, exporters may use the following specialist agencies:

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA): Agricultural and processed food products
Marine Products Export Development Authority and regional offices: Marine products
Central Silk Board and regional offices: Silk products
Coir Board: Coir and coir products
Development Commissioner, Handicraft and regional offices: Handicrafts
Spices Board: Spices and cashewnuts
Textile Committee and regional offices: Textiles, including technical textiles, apparel and made-ups
Tobacco Board: Tobacco and tobacco products

This approach combines a general issuing route with sector expertise. For instance, a processed-food exporter may apply through APEDA, a textile exporter may use the Textile Committee, and an exporter of goods outside a listed specialist category may use DGFT offices or the Export Inspection Council and Export Inspection Agencies.

SEZ and EOU coverage

The amended Appendix 2B also authorizes specified Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to issue Certificates of Origin for all products exported by SEZ units and export-oriented units (EOUs) within the jurisdiction of their respective Zonal Development Commissioners.

The designated SEZ authorities are:

Cochin Special Economic Zone
Falta Special Economic Zone
Kandla Special Economic Zone, including the Surat SEZ jurisdiction
MEPZ Special Economic Zone
NOIDA Special Economic Zone
SEEPZ Special Economic Zone
Vishakhapatnam Special Economic Zone

The authorization is jurisdiction-based. Accordingly, eligible SEZ units and EOUs should obtain their Certificate of Origin from the SEZ authority responsible for their Zonal Development Commissioner’s area.

What the notice means for exporters

The public notice provides a defined institutional pathway for Indian exporters seeking a preferential Certificate of Origin under the India-New Zealand FTA. It clarifies which authority can issue the document according to the exporter’s product category or SEZ/EOU location.

Exporters should ensure that their goods satisfy the origin requirements applicable under the agreement before seeking a certificate. Supporting information is likely to be central to the application, including records relating to inputs, production, invoices and export shipments.

The notification itself does not set out product-level tariff preferences or detailed origin tests. Its direct effect is procedural: it incorporates the FTA into the Handbook of Procedures and lists the authorized Certificate of Origin issuers in Appendix 2B.

Legal basis and policy effect

The DGFT issued the amendments under paragraphs 1.03 and 2.04 of FTP 2023. The notice has two principal effects:

FTA listing: The India-New Zealand FTA is added to the list of FTAs in paragraph 2.88(a) of the Handbook of Procedures, 2023.
Certificate issuers: Authorized agencies for preferential Certificates of Origin under the agreement are incorporated into Appendix 2B of FTP 2023.

By combining all-product, sector-specific and SEZ-based issuing routes, the notification gives Indian exporters an established administrative framework to obtain preferential Certificates of Origin for trade under the India-New Zealand FTA.

In case you face any issues related to Indirect Tax-Customs, GST, Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), Arbitration matters and Central Licensing and related advisory matters in India then please feel free to get in touch with SJ EXIM Services.

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Source: DGFT

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