Latest news with #KartikChakraborty
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Bengal jute industry frets over import ban through land ports
1 2 Kolkata: The ban imposed on the import of raw jute through land ports by the Union commerce ministry will cripple the sector in Bengal, leaders of the jute industry said on Saturday. Around 90% of jute-related manufacturing occurs in Bengal. The Indian Jute Manufacturers' Association (IJMA), the umbrella body representing the industry, plans to reach out to the ministry urgently, seeking a modification in the notification so that raw jute and yarn can continue to be imported through Petrapole in North 24 Parganas. "India annually imports around Rs 2,000 crore of jute and jute products from Bangladesh. Value addition is done in Bengal and finished jute products are then re-exported. The govt should ban the import of finished products from Bangladesh as the govt there provides a huge subsidy to the industry. But the ban on raw materials will hurt the industry here. Importing jute bales and yarns through the Nhava Sheva sea port in Navi Mumbai will increase the cost and drive away the relative price advantage that companies manufacturing jute products enjoy in this region," said Hemant Bangur, chairman of Gloster Ltd, one of the leading jute companies in India. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Kartik Chakraborty, secretary of Customs Clearing Agent Association, Petrapole, said jute items comprised 60% of the trucks that crossed the border into India from Bangladesh. "After the Bangladeshi garment import ban through land ports was announced on May 17, the number of trucks that entered India reduced from 150-200 a day to 70-80 daily. Now, with the ban on jute products, only 15-20 trucks will arrive. Around 50 trucks, loaded with jute-related items and were about to cross the border on Friday when the notification came, turned back on Saturday," Chakraborty recounted. A ban has been imposed on imports of certain jute products and woven fabrics through all land routes, citing strained relations between the two countries. The goods under these curbs include jute products, flax tow and waste, jute and other bast fibres, jute, single flax yarn, single yarn of jute, multiple folded, woven fabrics or flex and unbleached woven fabrics of jute. Ghanshyam Sarda, chairman of Sarda Group, which owns Agarpara Jute Mill, said the circular requires further clarification. "While it states that the import of jute and other textile-based fabrics is restricted, it does not explicitly specify whether hessian and sacking bags fall within the scope of this restriction. It is a matter of serious concern that the import of hessian fabric and jute bags continues to remain unrestricted, whereas the import of raw jute from Bangladesh — an essential input for domestic manufacturing and vital to addressing the raw jute shortage in India — has been placed under restriction. We are hopeful the Centre will revisit the matter and take appropriate corrective action in due course," he said.
Indian Express
06-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
‘Huge business… has come to a halt': Traders hit by Delhi's curbs on import of readymade garments from Bangladesh
Bangladesh's readymade garment industry, a major foreign exchange earner and employer, faces uncertainty after India imposed new restrictions, impacting consignments worth thousands of crores that previously passed through Petrapole, the country's largest land port. This year on May 17 India imposed restrictions on the import of several items through landports: these include readymade garments, fruits and fruit-flavoured carbonated drinks, cotton and cotton yarn waste, plastic and PVC finished goods, and wooden furniture, through land ports. According to an official notification, readymade garments are now allowed only through sea ports in Kolkata and Mumbai. The other restricted items are no longer permitted through land customs stations or check posts in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, and West Bengal. 'Mostly, readymade garments from Bangladesh come through Petrapole, and that has now been completely stopped. The other items mentioned also passed through land ports and border check posts in Changrabandha and the Northeast states. Those have stopped too. We're not allowing any of the items through land ports,' said a senior customs official at Petrapole. 'It's a huge business — and it's come to a halt,' said Kartik Chakraborty, secretary of the Petrapole Clearing Agents' Staff Welfare Association. In the last three years, consignments of readymade garments from Bangladesh worth thousands of crores annually passed through Petrapole. According to the data available with the Petrapole authorities, 15,844 consignments of readymade garments worth Rs 4,576.63 crore entered India from Bangladesh in the 2022-2023 fiscal. In 2023-2024, 13,587 consignments arrived, valued at Rs 3,750.23 crore. The following year, 13,693 consignments came in, totaling Rs 4,388.54 crore. And in April of the 2025-2026 financial year alone, 688 consignments were received from Bangladesh, valued at Rs 178.18 crore. On April 8, New Delhi stopped transshipment facilities for Bangladesh, days after Muhammad Yunus, the country's chief advisor, advocated for expanding the Chinese economic presence in the strategically important Northeast region. 'The number of trucks from Bangladesh had already started falling due to issues in their country. Then it dropped further after India cancelled transshipment facilities. Now, with this, it will decline even more. Earlier, around 300 trucks came daily when things were normal. Now it's down to about 150 a day,' Chakraborty said. Expressing concerns about sea port transportation, Syed Azizul Haq, who runs a customs clearing agency in Benapole, Bangladesh, said, 'Shipping readymade garments to Kolkata or Mumbai ports will be difficult. First, the vessels don't have enough capacity to handle containers. Second, the transport cost will be too high. For Mumbai, shipments would have to go via Colombo, which is not practical. And it takes much longer. Sending garments by sea isn't feasible. Business owners and workers will suffer. I hope things go back to normal soon.' Petrapole, the largest land port in South Asia, is located on the India-Bangladesh border about 80 km from Kolkata. In 2023-2024, the port recorded trade worth Rs 30,42,092 crore and handled 23,48,707 passenger movements between the two countries. Ravik Bhattacharya is the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. Over 20 years of experience in the media industry and covered politics, crime, major incidents and issues, apart from investigative stories in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands. Ravik won the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for political reporting. Ravik holds a bachelor degree with English Hons from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University and a PG diploma in mass communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik started his career with The Asian Age and then moved to The Statesman, The Telegraph and Hindustan Times. ... Read More
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Port curbs on imports from Bangladesh to have impact in Bengal, but national interest supreme: Officials
Though the Centre's move to restrict imports of certain goods from Bangladesh via land ports will have an impact on employment and transport revenue in West Bengal, the national interest is more important than the potential economic fallout, officials said on Sunday (May 18, 2025). The central government on Saturday imposed port restrictions on the import of a few Bangladeshi goods, such as readymade garments and processed food items, in response to similar curbs placed by Dhaka on certain Indian products last month. "Around 20-30 trucks, carrying finished premium garments, used to come daily even after India banned third-country transhipment. The latest order will completely stop such movement via land ports. When transhipment was allowed, 60-80 truckloads of garments were entering India," Petrapole Clearing Agents Staff Welfare Association (PCASWA) member Kartik Chakraborty said. Truckers and workers at border logistics hubs will be affected by the port restriction order, he said. A trade expert, declining to be named, said the finished garments from Bangladesh often make their way into modern Indian retail chains at low prices, and these products are effectively being "dumped into the market by Bangladeshi exporters". "The move by the Centre may be strategic, possibly linked to national interest and recent geopolitical developments, including Dhaka's ties with Islamabad. The national interest is more important than the potential economic fallout," the expert said. The notification imposes "port restrictions on the import of certain goods such as readymade garments, processed food items etc., from Bangladesh to India," the Centre said. The order said that readymade garments imports from Bangladesh will not be allowed from any land port. However, it is allowed only through the Nhava Sheva and Kolkata seaports. For fruits, fruit flavoured and carbonated drinks, processed food items (baked goods, snacks, chips and confectionary), cotton and cotton yarn waste, plastic and PVC finished goods, dyes, plasticisers and granules, and wooden furniture, the notification said the inbound shipments from the neighbouring country shall not be allowed through any LCSs (Land Customs Stations) and ICPs (Integrated Check Posts) in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, and LCS Changrabandha and Fulbari, in West Bengal. Mr. Chakraborty pointed out that seaport imports are not a preferred option due to the longer transit time of around two weeks, as compared to just 3-4 days via road.
India Today
18-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Bengal to be impacted by Bangladesh import curbs, but nation first: Officials
Though the Centre's move to restrict imports of certain goods from Bangladesh via land ports will have an impact on employment and transport revenue in West Bengal, the national interest is more important than the potential economic fallout, officials said on central government on Saturday imposed port restrictions on the import of a few Bangladeshi goods, such as readymade garments and processed food items, in response to similar curbs placed by Dhaka on certain Indian products last 20-30 trucks, carrying finished premium garments, used to come daily even after India banned third-country transhipment. The latest order will completely stop such movement via land ports. When transhipment was allowed, 60-80 truckloads of garments were entering India," Petrapole Clearing Agents Staff Welfare Association (PCASWA) member Kartik Chakraborty said. Truckers and workers at border logistics hubs will be affected by the port restriction order, he said.A trade expert, declining to be named, said the finished garments from Bangladesh often make their way into modern Indian retail chains at low prices, and these products are effectively being "dumped into the market by Bangladeshi exporters"."The move by the Centre may be strategic, possibly linked to national interest and recent geopolitical developments, including Dhaka's ties with Islamabad. The national interest is more important than the potential economic fallout," the expert notification imposes "port restrictions on the import of certain goods such as readymade garments, processed food items etc., from Bangladesh to India", the Centre order said that readymade garments imports from Bangladesh will not be allowed from any land port. However, it is allowed only through the Nhava Sheva and Kolkata fruits, fruit flavoured and carbonated drinks, processed food items (baked goods, snacks, chips and confectionary), cotton and cotton yarn waste, plastic and PVC finished goods, dyes, plasticisers and granules, and wooden furniture, the notification said the inbound shipments from the neighbouring country shall not be allowed through any LCSs (Land Customs Stations) and ICPs (Integrated Check Posts) in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, and LCS Changrabandha and Fulbari, in West pointed out that seaport imports are not a preferred option due to the longer transit time of around two weeks, as compared to just 3-4 days via road.
NDTV
18-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
"May Hurt Bengal But...": Official On Impact Of Bangladesh Import Curbs
Kolkata: Though the Centre's move to restrict imports of certain goods from Bangladesh via land ports will have an impact on employment and transport revenue in West Bengal, the national interest is more important than the potential economic fallout, officials said on Sunday. The central government on Saturday imposed port restrictions on the import of a few Bangladeshi goods, such as readymade garments and processed food items, in response to similar curbs placed by Dhaka on certain Indian products last month. "Around 20-30 trucks, carrying finished premium garments, used to come daily even after India banned third-country transhipment. The latest order will completely stop such movement via land ports. When transhipment was allowed, 60-80 truckloads of garments were entering India," Petrapole Clearing Agents Staff Welfare Association (PCASWA) member Kartik Chakraborty said. Truckers and workers at border logistics hubs will be affected by the port restriction order, he said. A trade expert, declining to be named, said the finished garments from Bangladesh often make their way into modern Indian retail chains at low prices, and these products are effectively being "dumped into the market by Bangladeshi exporters". "The move by the Centre may be strategic, possibly linked to national interest and recent geopolitical developments, including Dhaka's ties with Islamabad. The national interest is more important than the potential economic fallout," the expert said. The notification imposes "port restrictions on the import of certain goods such as readymade garments, processed food items etc., from Bangladesh to India," the Centre said. The order said that readymade garments imports from Bangladesh will not be allowed from any land port. However, it is allowed only through the Nhava Sheva and Kolkata seaports. For fruits, fruit flavoured and carbonated drinks, processed food items (baked goods, snacks, chips and confectionary), cotton and cotton yarn waste, plastic and PVC finished goods, dyes, plasticisers and granules, and wooden furniture, the notification said the inbound shipments from the neighbouring country shall not be allowed through any LCSs (Land Customs Stations) and ICPs (Integrated Check Posts) in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, and LCS Changrabandha and Fulbari, in West Bengal. Chakraborty pointed out that seaport imports are not a preferred option due to the longer transit time of around two weeks, as compared to just 3-4 days via road.
