Duty-Free Import Period for Yellow Peas Ends

08-Mar-2025 02:23 PM

Duty-Free Import Period for Yellow Peas Ends
New Delhi: The duty-free import period for yellow peas ended on February 28, 2025, with no notification issued for an extension. According to a December 24, 2024, notification from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), shipments of yellow peas with a Bill of Lading dated on or before February 28 would be considered duty-free if they arrived at Indian ports by March 31, 2025. This deadline has now been extended by two months to March 31, 2025.
It is important to note that the DGFT, under the Ministry of Commerce, is responsible for issuing notifications to regulate the import, control, or restriction of a product. In contrast, the Customs Department, under the Ministry of Finance, is authorized to impose or remove duties on imported or exported goods.
In the current scenario:
DGFT has allowed the import of yellow peas only if they were loaded onto ships at exporting country ports on or before February 28, 2025.
The Customs Department has stated that such shipments will remain duty-free until May 31, 2025.
By analyzing both notifications together, it is clear that all in-transit shipments must reach Indian ports by May 31, 2025, to avoid high import duties—even if they were loaded before February 28, 2025.
The government is not in favor of extending the duty-free import period for yellow peas but also does not want importers to suffer losses. Any cargo dispatched from Canada, Russia, or other exporting countries on February 28, 2025, is expected to reach India within three months.