Import Tax On Pulses

The government has imposed a 10 per cent import duty on lentils (mosur) and extended the duty-free import of yellow peas by three months till May 31 this year to enhance domestic availability, according to a finance ministry notification. Through the notification, the government has imposed 5 per cent basic customs duty and 5 per cent Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) on lentils with effect from March 8. So far, the import of lentils has been exempt from duty. The government had initially allowed the duty-free import of yellow peas in December 2023 and subsequently extended it thrice till February 28. As per estimates, India's yellow peas import stood at 30 lakh tonnes out of 67 lakh tonnes of overall pulses imported during 2024.

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This comes as the prices of both commodities are trading below the government-set levels in the local market