Brazil, Bolivia Launch Final Tests for Digital Certificate of Origin Ahead of 2025 Rollout

On Monday (April 14), Brazil and Bolivia launched a pilot plan to implement the Digital Certificate of Origin (COD) to modernize and facilitate bilateral trade. This marks the final testing phase before the official rollout of the COD, which is scheduled for the second half of 2025.

The digitization of the certification process — coordinated by Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC) — is a major milestone in streamlining bilateral trade. It will reduce operational costs and speed up certificate issuance, which depends on physical documentation in trade between Bolivia and Brazil.

“Trade facilitation is a priority for the Brazilian government. With the adoption of the COD, trade between Brazil and Bolivia will become more fluid, benefiting both companies and consumers,” said Vice President and MDIC Minister Geraldo Alckmin. “This is another step in our ongoing efforts to make trade processes faster and less burdensome,” Alckmin added, noting that Bolivia officially joined Mercosur in July 2024.

The certificate of origin is essential for exporters to benefit from preferential market access in the destination country, such as reduced or eliminated tariffs. In the case of Brazil and Bolivia, these benefits are outlined in Economic Complementation Agreement No. 36.

The COD meets strict security standards and provides greater reliability for foreign trade. Its digital signatures ensure the issuer’s authenticity and the content’s integrity. In other words, the COD reduces the risk of fraud and makes verifying the document’s authenticity easier.

Furthermore, by replacing paper documents with electronic procedures for exports and imports between the two countries, the time required for issuance is expected to drop from 48 hours to just 2 hours, and the process cost could be reduced by up to 95%.

The main goal of the pilot plan is to identify any necessary adjustments to ensure the system operates smoothly while also allowing exporters and importers to become familiar with the electronic procedures for issuing and receiving the COD.

According to MDIC’s Secretary of Foreign Trade, Tatiana Prazeres, this initiative reinforces Brazil’s commitment to modernizing and simplifying trade procedures. Implementing the Digital Certificate of Origin with Bolivia demonstrates our ongoing dedication to facilitating trade and promoting greater efficiency, security, and competitiveness for Brazilian companies,” she emphasized.

Since 2024, efforts have intensified to incorporate Bolivia into Mercosur fully. The country’s accession marks a significant step toward strengthening regional integration and expanding the bloc’s reach and economic potential.

Source: Informativo dos Portos

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