March 26, 2012

India to prioritise South Asia cotton exports

A Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) notice said on Wednesday (Mar 21) that Indian cotton consignments meant for Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan will get top priority in export scrutiny.

The DGFT, which is under Commerce Ministry, said that "greater priority would be accorded to cases pertaining to land custom stations on Indo-Pakistan, Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Nepal border to ease congestion there".

The government has decided that priority in scrutiny and re-validation should be accorded to the cotton consignments that were handed over to customs till 2400 hours on March 4, 2012, when the prohibition had come into force, it added.

On March 12, the government decided to lift a ban on cotton exports, which was imposed on March 5, with the rider that no fresh registration certificates (RCs) would be issued and the RCs already issued would be scrutinised.