AMN
The Government has brought the import of paper under compulsory registration from the 1st of October. The import policy of major paper products has been amended from ‘Free’ to ‘Free subject to compulsory registration under Paper Import Monitoring System’. A notification to this effect has been issued by the Directorate General of Free Trade yesterday.
This order shall be applicable on a range of paper products, such as newsprint, handmade paper, wallpaper base, duplicating paper, coated paper, uncoated paper, Litho and offset paper. All imports arriving on or after 1st of October this year shall be governed by this policy.
Paper products like currency paper, bank bonds and cheque paper and security printing paper have been excluded from this policy change.
The domestic paper industry has been raising issues of dumping of paper products in the domestic market by way of under-invoicing, entry of prohibited goods by mis-declaration, and re-routing goods through other countries in lieu of trade agreements. The move will also go a long way in promoting Make In India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat in this category.