- NEW DELHI — India's decision to restrict imports from Bangladesh is expected
to hit goods worth $770 million (INR 6,600 crore) that flow in through the
cross-border trade points with the neighbouring country.
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- "Readymade garments, valued at $618 million (INR 5,290
crore), now face strict routing through only two Indian seaports. This severely
limits Bangladesh’s most valuable export channel to India," said Ajay
Srivastava, founder of think-tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI).
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- The other goods that have been barred from entry into India
through the land customs stations on the border include fruit-flavoured
carbonated drinks, processed foods, cotton and cotton yarn waste, plastic and
PVC finished goods, and wooden furniture. The total value of these items is
pegged at around $153 million (INR 1,310 crore).
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- India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued a
notification imposing land port restrictions on the import of goods such as
readymade garments, processed food items etc., from Bangladesh to India with
immediate effect on Saturday.
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- “However, such said port restriction will not apply to
Bangladesh goods transiting through India but destined for Nepal and Bhutan,”
the DGFT said in its notification.
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- According to the directive, “Import of all kinds of
Ready-Made Garments from Bangladesh shall not be allowed from any land port,
however, it is allowed only through Nhava Sheva and Kolkata seaports”.
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- These items “shall not be allowed through any Land Customs
Stations (LCSs)/ Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and
Mizoram; and LCS Changrabandha and Fulbari, in West Bengal".