Entry into force of the Mauritius-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) on 1st April 2021

India and Mauritius resumed negotiations on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement in September 2017.  

7 rounds of negotiations and 13 DVC were held.  The CECPA covers three main chapters namely Trade in Goods, Trade in Services and General Economic Cooperation.  

Key elements of CECPA   

1. Trade in Goods

The CECPA contains a comprehensive chapter on Trade in Goods including Preferential Trade Agreement text and tariff elimination scheduled by both countries, Customs Cooperation, Trade Facilitation, Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary measures and Technical Barriers to Trade.  

Mauritius submitted a request for market access for 615 products covering key products such as special sugar, garments, medical devices, spirits and rum amongst others. The latest proposal as included in the consolidated CECPA text on our key products are provided below.  

Mauritius has obtained preferential access on products including medical devices, food preparations, , cane molasses, medicinal preparations, detergents, soaps, clock and watch parts, and jewellery, amongst others.  

A provision has been included in the Agreement to pursue negotiations on additional tariff lines.

As regards to the Mauritius market access offer, preferential treatment has been provided to the Indian side on a list of 310 products. 

2. Trade in Services

The CECPA contains a comprehensive Chapter on Services aimed at improving bilateral trade in services.  Both sides will take commitments in some 31 sub sectors, including insurance and insurance related services, banking and other financial services, telecommunication, professional services such as accounting, auditing, market research, architectural, engineering, veterinary services, distribution services, tourism and travel related services, translation and interpretation services.  

The CECPA was signed on 22 February 2021 and came into operation on 1 April 2021.

3. Procedures

For products imported from India to benefit from preferential access in Mauritius, the  products must comply with the CECPA rules of origin and should be accompanied by a CECPA certificate origin issued by the respective Government Authority in India in order to benefit from tariff preferences.  In the case of Mauritius, the CECPA certificate of Origin is issued by MRA Customs.

Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQ) 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  Rate Quotas (TRQ) will be allocated to exporters in Mauritius, based on clearly defined criteria, by a Committee under the aegis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade and comprising representatives from the public and private sector. Interested exporters are requested to contact the MRA Customs Department on 2020500 or email at origin.customs@mra.mu

Click here to download the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement.