India cuts import obligation on blueberries, cranberries, meat and edible offal of turkeys and cotton

Finance Ministry has lowered import obligation on sure objects from the US. These embrace blueberries and cranberries the place duties have been minimize to 5-10 per cent from 30 per cent. Equally, import obligation pertaining to meat and edible offal of turkey, frozen meat is decreased to five per cent from 30 per cent.

New tariff charges have been made efficient from Tuesday, February 20, a notification issued by the Ministry mentioned. This transfer is a follow-up of an announcement made in September final yr after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assembly with the US President Joe Biden.

Each international locations agreed to resolve their final excellent dispute on the World Commerce Organisation on import restrictions on poultry merchandise from Washington with New Delhi throwing in some extra sweeteners within the type of obligation cuts on frozen turkey, frozen duck and a wide range of cranberries and blueberries.

A press release issued by the US Commerce Consultant workplace, in September final, mentioned that as a part of the settlement, India had agreed to scale back tariffs on sure US merchandise together with frozen turkey, frozen duck, contemporary blueberries and cranberries, frozen blueberries and cranberries, dried blueberries and cranberries, and processed blueberries and cranberries. “These tariff cuts will increase financial alternatives for US agricultural producers in a important market and assist convey extra US merchandise to clients in India,” it had mentioned.

Poultry case

The US filed a poultry case towards India within the WTO approach again in 2012 for the removing of an import ban imposed by the nation on US poultry on account of chicken flu. India misplaced the case on the WTO on the panel stage in 2014 and in addition subsequently on the appellate stage. Whereas India then lifted the ban, the US was not happy with the mechanism concerned for poultry shipments and in addition the steep import duties and therefore didn’t withdraw the case on the WTO.

Commenting on the newest growth, Khushbu Trivedi, Affiliate Director- with Nangia Andersen India mentioned, ”Discount of the obligation on these area of interest objects hardly ever produced in India would assist the USA in penetrating the Indian market and in addition in bringing the costs of those merchandise down in India. This transfer shall additionally profit different nations forming a part of WTO,” she mentioned.

The notification has additionally decreased the import obligation to ‘NIL’ on ‘Cotton, not carded or combed, with staple size exceeding 32mm.’ This has been finished in response to the issues raised by the cotton business, “This determination displays a proactive method by the federal government to deal with business suggestions and adapt import rules accordingly, doubtlessly benefiting stakeholders concerned within the cotton sector,” Trivedi mentioned.