Paper & paperboard imports surge 10% on nil customs duty after ASEAN FTA

Paper & paperboard imports have gone up nearly 10 per cent in 2019-20 to 1,637.3 tonnes from 1,478.2 tonnes. Over the last nine years, it has grown nearly 1,100 per cent. The share of paper imports from ASEAN in total paper imports for India has risen more than four times from about 5 per cent in 2010-11 to about 21 per cent in 2019-20.

Ever since ASEAN-India FTA came into force from January 2010 and basic customs duties were progressively reduced to nil in India, imports of paper & paperboard from ASEAN, especially writing & printing paper, have increased at