Key points
- Bangladesh restricts Indian yarn imports via land ports
- India limits import of Bangladeshi garments to two seaports
- India also bars entry of specific Bangladeshi goods
ISLAMABAD: India has imposed new trade restrictions on Bangladeshi exports, barring the entry of ready-made garments through land ports. A notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade on Saturday has come into immediate effect.
This move follows Bangladesh’s recent decision to restrict Indian yarn imports via land ports, allowing them only through seaports.
In response, India has now limited the import of all Bangladeshi garments to only two seaports—Kolkata and Nhava Sheva (Mumbai)—where all shipments will undergo mandatory inspection, according to the Hindu.
Indian officials noted that over 90 per cent of Bangladesh’s garment exports to India currently pass through land routes, particularly through the northeastern states.
Benefiting local industries
In addition to garments, India has also barred the entry of specific Bangladeshi goods—including plastic items, wooden furniture, fruit juices, carbonated drinks, confectionery, bakery products, cotton yarn, and dyes—through land ports in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram.
The same restrictions will apply at the Fulbari and Changrabandha land ports in northern West Bengal. The list of restricted goods will be reviewed periodically.
According to Indian officials, this reciprocal measure was taken not only in response to trade imbalances but also due to increased scrutiny faced by Indian cargo on the Bangladeshi side in recent months. The decision, they say, will benefit local industries in India’s northeastern region.
