The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) entered into force on 1 April 2021. As one of the fastest growing economies, India presents a significant opportunity to Mauritian businesses, provides access to a market of more than 1.4 billion inhabitants. The CECPA is the first trade agreement signed by India with a country in Africa. It provides a platform for the two trading partners to reduce custom duties on a host of products as well as relaxing existing standards to promote service trade.
The CECPA contains 9 chapters. The Chapters are as follows (1) Preliminary; (2) Trade in Goods; (3) Rules of origin; (4) Sanitary and phytosanitary measures; (5) Technical barriers to Trade; (6) Trade in services; (7) Dispute Settlement; (8) Institutional and Final provision; (9) General Economic Cooperation.
The Agreement provides Mauritian exporters preferential market access on a list of 615 products including: 40 000 tons of special sugar at 10% duty, 2 million liters of beer at 25% duty, 1.5 million liters of rum at 50% duty, 5000 liters of fruit wine at 50% duty, 7.5 million pieces of garments at zero duty, 7000 tons of canned tuna at zero duty.
Mauritius grants preferential access on 310 products, including spices, tea, plastic articles, wooden furniture, parts of motor vehicles, amongst others.
On services, both countries provide market access on more than 100 subsectors including insurance and insurance related services, banking and other financial services, telecommunication, professional services such as accounting, auditing, architectural services, engineering, translation and interpretation services.
Both countries have agreed to scale up cooperation in 25 priority sectors under the Economic Development Chapter including Pharmaceuticals, Agro-industry, SMEs, Manufacturing, Ocean economy, ICT, Financial services, amongst others.
To benefit from the Agreement, potential importers and exporters are required to meet the rules of origin requirements and to submit the certificate of origin or origin declaration. The certificate of origin shall be issued by the competent authorities of the two countries. In the case of Mauritius, the competent authority is the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) Customs Department.
Tariff Quotas upon imports from India will be granted on a first come first serve basis in accordance with the date and time of validation of the bill of entry submitted for home consumption and will be managed by the MRA Customs Department.
Detailed information with respect to the Tariff Quotas will be posted on the website of the MRA.
As regards exports to India, Tariff Quotas will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis with no end date by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
Document related to the Mauritius- India CECPA Agreement can be accessed below:
Interested exporters are requested to contact
The MRA Customs Department on (230) 2020500 or email at
origin.customs@mra.mu
Website: www.mra.mu
