328 Tariff Lines Covering Carpets, Apparels and Other Textile Products Duty Doubled to 20% from 10%

A hike in import duty is expected to provide relief to the domestic textile industry, which has been hit by a rise in imports of certain products

India doubled the import tax on more than 300 textile products to 20% on Tuesday as the world’s biggest producer of cotton tries to curb rising imports from China.

It was the second tax hike on textiles in as many months after an increase on other products including fibre and apparels last month.

The moves are expected to provide relief to the domestic textile industry, which has been hit by cheaper imports. India’s total textile imports jumped by 16% to a record $7 billion in the fiscal year to March 2018. Of this, about $3 billion were from China.

The government did not disclose details of the 328 textile products that will be subject to the duty increase announced on Tuesday.

Rising imports sent India’s trade deficit with China in textile products to a record high $1.54 billion in 2017/18, alarming industry officials as India had been until recently a net exporter of textile products to China.

India’s imports of textile products from Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia also jumped in the last few years as they are not subject to any duty under free trade agreements (FTA) signed by India with these countries.

The 20% duty will not be applicable to products sourced from those countries due to the FTA, Jain said.

Industry officials say in the last few months Chinese fibre has been shipped to Bangladesh and processed and exported to India with zero duty.

“Rules of origin need to be implemented for textile products. Otherwise Chinese products will land from other countries,” said a Mumbai-based garment exporter, who declined to be named.

India’s trade differences with the United States have also been rising since President Donald Trump took office.

India, the world’s biggest buyer of US almonds, in June decided to raise import duties on almonds and some other US imports by 20%, joining the European Union and China in retaliating against Trump’s tariff hikes on steel and aluminium. The increased tariff on US goods will be applicable from 18 September.

[Notification No. 58/2018-Customs dated 7 August 2018]

Seeks to further amend notification No. 82/2017-customs dated 27th October 2017, to increase Ad-valorem component of BCD from 10% to 20% on 328 tariff lines of carpets, apparels and other textile products.

In exercise of the powers conferred by the sub-section (1) of section 25 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962), the Central Government, hereby makes the following further amendments in the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), No. 82/2017, dated the 27th of October, 2017, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary vide number G.S.R.1341 (E), dated the 27th  of October, 2017, namely: -

In the said notification, in the Table, -

(i)        for serial number 105 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely:-

“105

5701

All goods

20%”;

(ii)       serial number 105A and the entries relating thereto shall be omitted;

(iii)      against serial numbers 106, 108, 110, 111 and 112, in column (4), for the figures “10%”, the figures “20%” shall be substituted;

(iv)      after serial number 112 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial numbers and entries shall be inserted, namely: -

“112A

5702 91(except 5702 91 20)

All goods

20%

112B

5702 91 20

All goods

10%”;

(v)       against serial numbers 113, 114 and 119, in column (4), for the figures “10%”, the figures “20%” shall be substituted;

(vi)      after serial number 119 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial numbers and entries shall be inserted, namely: -

“119A

5704 20 (except 5702 20 20)

All goods

20%

119B

5704 20 20

All goods

10%”;

(vii)     against serial numbers 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175 and 176, in column (4), for the figures “10%”, the figures “20%” shall be substituted;

(viii)    for serial number 177 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely:-

“177

6103 (except 6103 29 10 and 6103 29 20)

All goods

20%”;

(ix)      for serial number 177A and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely: -

“177A

6103 29 10, 6103 29 20

All goods

10%”;

(x)       against serial numbers 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185 186,189, 190, 191, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198, 199 and 200, in column (4), for the figures “10%”, the figures “20%” shall be substituted;

(xi)      for serial number 201 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely:-

“201

6108 29, 6108 31 00, 6108 32, 6108 39 (except 6108 39 10)

All goods

20%”;

(xii)     for serial number 201A and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely: -

“201A

6108 39 10

All goods

10%”;

(xiii)    against serial numbers 202 and 203, in column (4), for the figures “10%”, the figures “20%” shall be substituted;

(xiv)    for serial number 204 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely:-

“204

6108 99 (except 6108 99 20)

All goods

20%”;

(xv)     after serial number 204 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be inserted, namely: -

“204A

6108 99 20

All goods

10%”;

(xvi)    against serial numbers 207 and 209, in column (4), for the figures “10%”, the figures “20%” shall be substituted;

(xvii)   for serial number 210 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely:-

“210

6111,6112(except 6112 19 10, 6112 20 10, 6112 49 10)

All goods

20%”;

 (xviii) for serial number 210A and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely: -

“210A

6112 19 10, 6112 20 10, 6112 49 10

All goods

10%”;

(xix)    for serial number 212 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely:-

“212

6114, 6115, 6116, 6117

All goods

20%”;

(xx)     serial number 212A and the entries relating thereto shall be omitted;

(xxi)    against serial numbers 211, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 230, 231, 233, 235, 236, 240, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 247, 248, 250, 251, 252, 253, 258, 260, 261, 264 and 265, in column (4), for the figures “10%”, the figures “20%” shall be substituted;

(xxii)   for serial number 266 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely:-

“266

6207 19 (except 6207 19 30)

All goods

20% or Rs. 30 per piece, whichever is higher”;

(xxiii)  after serial number 266 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be inserted, namely: -

“266A

6207 19 30

All goods

10% or Rs. 30 per piece, whichever is higher”;

(xxiv)  against serial numbers 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 274 and 275, in column (4), for the figures “10%”, the figures “20%” shall be substituted;

(xxv)   for serial number 276 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely:-

“276

6210 30

All goods

20% or Rs. 305 per piece, whichever is higher”;

(xxvi)  against serial numbers 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285 and 286, in column (4), for the figures “10%”, the figures “20%” shall be substituted;

(xxvii) for serial number 287 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely:-

“287

6214 10 (except 6214 10 30)

All goods

20% or Rs. 390 per piece, whichever is higher”;

(xxviii) after serial number 287 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be inserted, namely: -

“287A

6214 10 30

All goods

10% or Rs. 390 per piece, whichever is higher”;

(xxix)  against serial numbers 288 and 289, in column (4), for the figures “10%”, the figures “20%” shall be substituted;

(xxx)   for serial number 290 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be substituted, namely:-

“290

6214 90 (except 6214 90 21, 6214 90 22, 6214 90 31, 6214 90 32)

All goods

20% or Rs. 75 per piece, whichever is higher”;

(xxxi)  after serial number 290 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be inserted, namely: -

“290A

6214 90 21, 6214 90 22, 6214 90 31, 6214 90 32

All goods

10% or Rs. 75 per piece,  whichever is higher”;

(xxxii) against serial numbers 291, 292 and 293, in column (4), for the figures “10%”, the figures “20%” shall be substituted.

[F. No. 354/123/2017-TRU (Pt.)]