Reply to Bangladesh: India imposes land-route ban on ready-made garments and processed food; reminds Bangladesh – trade is ‘two-way’, not one-sided!
Tit for Tat – this proverb has come true as India has given a sharp response to Bangladesh’s recent trade attitude. Now, the import of ready-made garments, processed food, and several other items from Bangladesh via land ports has been completely banned. This decision has been implemented with immediate effect. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has issued a notification regarding this. It clearly states a ban on bringing in ready-made clothes and food products from Bangladesh via land route.
The DGFT notification clearly mentions, “Import of all types of ready-made garments from Bangladesh through any land port will not be allowed. These items can only be imported through Nhava Sheva and Kolkata seaports.” This means that the land doors of India have now been closed in the name of sewing and knitting. This restriction is not limited to garments alone – the list is long and includes everything from clothing to food products.
Fruit-based drinks, carbonated drinks, processed food items, cotton waste, PVC and plastic products, and even wooden furniture have been included in the ban list. All Land Customs Stations (LCS) and Integrated Check Posts (ICP) in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram will not allow entry of these goods. The routes through Changrabandha and Phulbari in West Bengal have also been closed.
Some exemptions remain
However, this ban will not apply to items like fish, LPG, edible oil, and crushed stone. This response is a reaction to the ‘yarn ban’ – notably, in April, the Bangladesh government had imposed a restriction on the import of yarn from India through land ports via a notification from the National Board of Revenue (NBR). Now India has responded in kind. A new lesson in diplomacy – tit for tat.
Trans-shipment facility also revoked
India had already ended the trans-shipment facility given to Bangladesh. Now, Bangladesh should realize the value of India’s generosity. The real trade numbers: after China, India is Bangladesh’s second-largest trade partner. In the financial year 2022-23, the trade between the two countries was around 16 billion dollars. Out of this, Bangladesh imported goods worth 14 billion dollars from India, while it could only export goods worth 2 billion dollars. Still, they make the demands! So now, the game is on equal footing.
Bangladesh must understand that India trades, it doesn’t do charity. The era of one-sided benefits is now over.