New Delhi, April 29 -- India currently levies a 5% basic customs duty on raw cotton imports. The government had temporarily waived this duty between 19 August and 30 September 2025, and later extended this exemption to 31 December 2025.

Addressing the media on the supply-chain scenario amid the war in West Asia, Bipin Menon, trade advisor in the textiles ministry, said on Tuesday that discussions were ongoing with the ministry of agriculture and the department of revenue on reducing or eliminating customs duty on cotton. India's cotton exports declined from $972.17 million in FY24 to $660.40 million in FY25, while imports increased from $579.21 million in FY24 to $1.2 billion in FY25.

Mint explains the rationale behind the government's ...