The Central Government, on being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, hereby exempts the goods hen imported into India, from the whole of the duty of customs leviable thereon under the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act and from the whole of the Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess leviable thereon, according to a notification.
The notification shall come into force with effect from the 01 day of June, 2026, and shall remain in force up to and inclusive of the 31st day of October, 2026, it said.
Earlier, the government had levied 11 per cent import duty on cotton.
The measure, implemented during the cotton off-season, will ensure adequate availability of cotton for the textile industry, support MSMEs, moderate input costs, and strengthen the competitiveness of Indian textiles—while safeguarding farmers’ interests and ensuring market stability, the government said.
The decision is expected to ease input costs across the textile and apparel value chain, providing targeted relief to manufacturers while ensuring affordability for consumers, it said.
