Rule 24 - During the investigation proceedings, the competent authorities of the importing Signatory Party may........ - Customs Tariff (Determination of Origin of Goods under the Preferential Trade Agreement between the Governments of MERCOSUR Member States comprising the Argentine Republic, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Republic of Paraguay and the Republica Oriental del Uruguay and the Republic of India) Rules, 2009

Rule 24. During the investigation proceedings, the competent authorities of the importing Signatory Party may: a) request, through the competent authorities of the exporting Signatory Party, new information, as well as any copy of the documentation in possession of the person who issued the origin certificate under investigation, according to Rule 18, which may be deemed necessary for verifying the authenticity of the said certificates and the veracity of the information contained therein. In such a request, the number and the date of the issue of the origin certificate under investigation shall be indicated. b) for the purposes of verification of the contents of the local or regional added value, require access to any information or documentation necessary for establishing the CIF value of the non-originating goods used in the production of the goods under investigation and the producer or exporter shall facilitate the same. c) for the purposes of verification of the characteristics of certain production processes required as specific origin requisites, require access to any information and documentation that allow the confirmation of such processes and the exporter or producer shall facilitate the same. d) send to the competent authorities of the exporting Signatory Party a written questionnaire to be passed on to the exporter or producer, indicating the origin certificate under investigation; e) request to the competent authorities of the exporting Signatory Parties to facilitate visits to the premises of the producer, with a view to examining the production processes, as well as the equipment and tools utilized in the manufacture of the product under investigation. f) require that the competent authorities of the exporting Signatory Party shall accompany the authorities of the importing Signatory Party in their above- mentioned visit, which may include the participation of specialists who shall act as observers. The specialists, who shall be previously selected, shall be neutral and have no interest whatsoever in the investigation. The exporting Signatory Party may deny the participation of such specialists whenever the latter represent the interests of the companies or institutions involved in the investigation. g) require that once the visit is concluded, the participants shall subscribe the minutes of it, in which it shall be indicated that it was carried out according to the conditions established in these Rules. The said minutes shall contain, in addition, the following information: date and place of the carrying out of the visit; identification of the origin certificates which led to the investigation; identification of the goods under investigation; identification of the participants, including indications of the organs and institutions to which they belong; a visit report. h) accept the exporting Signatory Party's request for the postponement of a verification visit for a period not more than thirty (30) days. i) carry out other actions as agreed upon between the Signatory Parties involved in the case under investigation.