Govt exempts cotton import duty for five months till October 30

New Delhi ( Raghwendra Pratap Singh) : The Centre on Saturday exempted customs duty on cotton imports to ensure adequate availability of the raw material at competitive rates to domestic textiles industries for five months starting from Monday.

This notification shall come into force with effect from the 01st day of June, 2026, and shall remain in force up to and inclusive of the 31st day of October, 2026,” Union finance ministry said in an order.

The import duty on cotton was reinstated on January 1, 2026, after a brief hiatus from August to December 2025.

A government spokesperson said the government has “temporarily” exempted all customs duties on import of cotton to augment its availability for the Indian textile sector.

“The temporary duty exemption is expected to reduce input costs across the textile and apparel sector, thereby providing a targeted relief to manufacturers and consumers, while also keeping the interests of domestic farmers in mind,” he said.