The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has halted the import of yarn from India through land ports, effective immediately, as per a new order issued on April 15, amending the earlier notification from August 27, 2024.
This decision follows complaints from the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), which stated that cheap Indian yarn entering via land ports was harming domestic producers. While yarn from countries like China, Turkey, and Uzbekistan is priced similarly to local products, Indian yarn brought through land ports is significantly cheaper, even lower than prices declared at Chittagong Custom House.
In response, BTMA requested a ban on land port imports in February. The Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission then recommended the same in March, urging NBR to allow yarn imports only through sea ports until proper infrastructure is in place at land ports to assess yarn count accurately.
NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan issued the directive accordingly. Yarn imports can still continue through sea ports or other non-land routes.
