Modi government bans import of readymade garment, processed food, cotton, plastic items and wooden furniture through land ports from Bangladesh

A month after the Indian Government withdrew the transshipment facility extended to Bangladesh, now port restrictions have been imposed on import of certain goods from the country. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade under Department of Commerce of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry issued a notification on 17^th May imposing port restrictions on the import of certain goods such as Readymade garments, processed food items etc, from Bangladesh to India. 

The port restrictions have been imposed on import of all kinds of Ready-Made Garments, Fruit/ Fruit flavoured and Carbonated Drinks; Processed food items; Cotton and Cotton Yarn Waste; Plastic and PVC finished goods and Wooden Furniture.

The detailed notification states that Import of all kinds of Ready-Made Garments from Bangladesh shall not be allowed from any land port. However, it will be allowed only through Nhava Sheva and Kolkata seaports.

Import of Fruit/ Fruit flavoured and Carbonated Drinks, Processed food items like Baked goods, Snacks, Chips and Confectionery, Cotton and Cotton Yam Waste, Plastic and PVC finished goods, and Wooden Furniture will not be permitted through any Land Customs Stations (LCSs)/ Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram; and Land Customs Stations of Changrabandha and Fulbari in West Bengal.

However, import of pigments, dyes, plasticisers and granules that form input for own industries will be allowed. Moreover, the port restrictions do not apply to the import of Fish, LPG, Edible Oil, and Crushed stone from Bangladesh. These port restrictions will also not apply to Bangladeshi goods exported to Nepal and Bhutan transiting through India.

Earlier on 9^th April, Indian govt announced the withdrawal of the transshipment facility previously extended to Bangladesh, citing logistical challenges and congestion at Indian ports and airports. Under this facility, Bangladesh was allowed to send container trucks from the Petrapole Land Port located on the India-Bangladesh border, the largest land port in South Asia, to Kolkata port, Kolkata Airport’s air cargo complex, Nhavasheva Port in Maharashtra, and Delhi airport.

Similarly, Bangladeshi exporters could ship their products from Petrapole Land Port, Gede Land Port or Ranaghat Land Port using freight trains to Nhavasheva Port, also known as Jawaharlal Nehru Port. From the ports and airports in India, the cargo was then shipped to their final destination countries.

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