Request to extend the period for duty-free import of cotton

29-Dec-2025 10:52 AM

Coimbatore. The Tamil Nadu Spinning Mills Association (TASMA) has urged the Union Finance Minister to extend the period for duty-free import of cotton.

The current deadline is December 31, 2025. According to the association, a decline in domestic cotton production could lead to a shortage.

In a letter to the Union Finance Minister, the association's president stated that domestic cotton production has decreased, and textile mills may face a shortage of cotton in the coming months.

Extending the duty-free import of cotton from abroad would benefit the industry and help it maintain competitive prices for its products in the international market.

A major buyer country, the US, imposes a hefty 50 percent import duty on Indian textile products, which forces Indian manufacturers to keep prices low there.

It is noteworthy that the central government had previously extended the deadline for duty-free import of cotton from September 30 to December 31, 2025.  Currently, cotton prices are relatively low. India regularly imports large quantities of cotton from abroad.