Centre extends customs duty exemption on tur, urad dal by one year till March 2025

In order to keep food inflation in check, the central government on Thursday extended the customs duty exemption on urad and tur dal imports by another year, till March 31, 2025. This exemption, which came into effect from October 2021, will now last until March 31, 2025, as opposed to the earlier notification of March 31, 2024.

The Director General of Foreign Trade issued an order to this effect was issued by on Thursday. The announcement comes close on the heels of the government's recent decision to extend the import duty exemption for masur dal by one year to March 2025.

The notifications of extending duty free imports come at a time when Ministry of Statistics shared that food inflation has risen to 8.7 per cent in November up from 6.61 per cent in October. The prices of pulses also surged by 20 per cent in November, as per the data. 

Earlier the government extended the time period for existing stock limits under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 in respect of tur and urad from October 30 to December 31, and also revised the stock holding limits for certain stockholding entities. 

This was done to prevent hoarding and ensure that adequate quantities of tur and urad reached markets to prevent prices from soaring further.

(With Agency Inputs)