The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has banned the import of yarn from India through all land ports.
The decision, announced via a notification on Tuesday, takes immediate effect. It replaces an earlier notification issued on August 27, 2024, reports Dhaka Tribune.
According to the NBR, yarn can no longer be imported through land ports including Benapole, Bhomra, Sonamasjid, Banglabandha, and Burimari. However, imports via sea or other routes will still be allowed.
In February this year, the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) urged the government to stop yarn imports from India through land routes, arguing that the cheaper Indian yarn was undercutting local producers and causing them heavy financial losses. Following this, in March, the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission recommended temporarily suspending land-port imports to protect the domestic textile industry.
The commission noted that land ports lack sufficient infrastructure to assess and verify yarn counts in line with international standards. As a result, it recommended that yarn imports continue only through sea ports.
Sources say yarn produced in northern and southern India is first sent to warehouses in Kolkata before being exported to Bangladesh—mainly via land ports. These shipments were significantly cheaper than both local yarn and imports from countries like China, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. In some cases, Indian yarn entered the country at prices even lower than those declared at Chittagong Customs House, making it difficult for local mills to remain competitive.
NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan said the decision was made to protect domestic industries and followed the Tariff Commission’s recommendation.
While experts believe the move will provide some relief to local yarn producers, importers are concerned it will raise costs and delay raw material procurement.
