Govt. exempts cotton imports from customs duties till September
The Hindu
‘Aim is help industry cope with raw material shortages, aid exports’
The government has exempted all cotton imports from customs duties from April 14 to September 30, 2022, with a view to help the textiles industry cope with raw material shortages. The move will also aid exports and provide relief to consumers, the Finance Ministry said.
A surge in domestic cotton prices due to lower-than-anticipated crop yields had put pressure on the textile sector’s export competitiveness vis-a-vis rivals like Vietnam and Bangladesh who don’t levy any import duty on cotton. Cotton imports are taxed at about 11%, including cess and surcharges, in India.
Higher cotton prices were also reflected in clothing and footwear inflation faced by domestic consumers, which surged to 9.4% in March, when retail inflation hit a 17-month high.

The latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) by MoS&PI reveals a transformative shift in India’s economic landscape. For the first time in over a decade, granular data on Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) highlights a significant decline in the proportional share of food spending—a classic validation of Engel’s Law as real incomes rise. Between 1999 and 2024, both rural and urban consumption pivoted away from staple-heavy diets toward protein-rich foods, health, education, and conveyance. As Indian households move beyond subsistence, these shifting Indian household spending patterns offer vital insights for social sector policy, poverty estimation, and the lived realities of an expanding middle-income population.












