Ludhiana’s MP highlights cheap fabric dumping and duty-free imports

During the current Rajya Sabha session, MP Sanjeev Arora from Ludhiana raised concerns about the duty-free import of man-made fabrics from Bangladesh and the influx of cheap Chinese materials. He emphasized the Indian textile industry, especially the MSME sector, is suffering from two major issues: a decline in export demand and the dumping of low-cost, low-quality materials from China.

Arora urged the government to ban the import of cheap knit textiles from China, suggesting a Minimum Import Price of at least $3.50 per kg under Chapter-60 of the Customs Tariff to protect domestic manufacturers. He also pointed out that under the 2006 SAARC agreement, Bangladesh imports inexpensive materials from China, manufactures clothing, and sells it in India duty-free. This practice undermines the local textile industry, which is labor-intensive and provides significant employment, particularly for women.

Arora called for an immediate halt to these duty-free imports to support domestic businesses and safeguard jobs. He urged the government to take swift action to ensure fair competition for the Indian textile sector.