Government assures exporters of support

NEW DELHI: Govt on Monday assured exporters that it was willing to offer flexibilities and support them through trade facilitation measures, amid the uncertainty caused by the conflict in West Asia.

In a meeting in the commerce department convened by special secretary Suchindra Misra and DGFT Lav Agarwal, exporters flagged possible pressure points: Perishables in transit, higher freight rates, demurrage, longer shipping routes, import component in exports and impact on bank repayments.

While a monitoring cell or a 24x7 war room is in the offing for better coordination among agencies and to resolve issues, an official statement said govt “reiterated its readiness to facilitate trade operations” and indicated its willingness to look at issues related to procedural flexibility in cases of genuine disruption, coordination with customs authorities for smooth clearance and engagement with banks and insurance agencies. “The discussions covered the need to maintain predictability in cargo movement, minimise avoidable delays, and ensure seamless documentation and payment processes for exporters and importers,” it added.

Mechanisms for facilitation of time-sensitive export segments, such as perishables, pharma and high-value manufactured exports were also discussed. The meeting emphasised strengthening facilitation at ports/ICDs and ensuring smooth cargo evacuation to avoid congestion and extended dwell times, the release said.

The commerce department has assured businesses that govt will accord priority to ensuring continuity of EXIM logistics and mitigating any disruptions through a “facilitative and coordinated” approach so that essential imports required for domestic production and consumption are not adversely affected.

“India has successfully navigated multiple global disruptions in recent years and continues to strengthen supply chain resilience. The govt remains committed to ensuring that India remains a stable and reliable trading partner,” the commerce department statement said.

Meanwhile, AEPC has approached the civil aviation ministry to tackle problems arising out of the situation prevailing in west Asia due to ongoing Iran-US conflict. The agency has sought the waiver of demurrage charges on export cargo due to flight disruptions.