Lok Sabha Question No. 1871 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-30
Subject: Export Policy for Specialised Goods
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: RAVNEET SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1871 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30 th  JULY,2018

## EXPORT POLICY FOR SPECIALISED GOODS

## 1871.  SHRI RAVNEET SINGH:

Will  the  Minister  of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाͨणÏय  एवं  उɮयोग  मंğी ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is working on a new Export Policy with a special regard towards exports of specialised goods and textiles and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  working  on  any  specialised  State  packages  and  proposals, especially for the State of Punjab for export promotion;
- (c) if  so,  the  details  thereof,  State/UTwise  and  the action taken  by  the  Government  in  this regard;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  tied  up  with  the  Ministry  of  Shipping  and  Road  and Transport to make last mile connectivity to industrial towns like Ludhiana more efficient and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the amount of earnings made through exports during each of the last three years along with the amount spent on imports during the said period?

## ANSWER

okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lh- vkj- pkS/kjh½

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a) The new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) was launched on 1.4.2015. The main policy objective is to enable India to respond to the challenges of the external environment keeping in view the rapidly evolving  international  trading  architecture  and  make  trade  a  major  contributor  to  the  country's economic growth and development. The policy provides the framework for promotion  of exports through  schemes of  incentives  on  exports  and  duty  remission/exemption  on  inputs  for  export production. The Mid-term review of the FTP 2015-20 was released in December of 2017 in which export  incentives  under  Merchandise  Exports  from  India  (MEIS)  have  been  increased  by  2%  for labour intensive and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sectors including Ready-made Garments and Made Ups in the labour intensive Textiles sector with effect from 1.11.2017.  Further, Government has taken steps to prepare sectoral export promotion strategy involving sectors such as Textiles, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Agriculture, Electronics and IT, Heavy Industry, Defence production among others which comprise a substantial part of India's exports.

- (b) and (c) Steps have been taken to mainstream all State Governments including Punjab in the process of international trade. The key measures include following:
- (i ) A Council for Trade Development and Promotion has been constituted with representation of all States  with  the  objective  to  ensure  a  continuous  dialogue  of  Central  Government  with  State Governments and UTs on international trade.
- (i i ) Government of India has provided access of the state wise export data compiled by DGCIS to State Governments. States are being exhorted to prepare export strategies.
- (i i i ) Recently,  all  State  Governments  /  UTs,  have  been  requested  to  constitute  a  State  Export Promotion  Committee  under  the  chairmanship  of  Chief  Secretaries  for  focussing  on  export promotion.
- (iv ) A new scheme called 'Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES)' has been launched from 1st April 2017 to address the export infrastructure gaps in the country.
- (v) Support is being provided to exporters in all States through schemes of incentives on exports and duty remission/exemption on inputs for export production under Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20.
- (vi) Interest  Equalization  Scheme  on  pre  and  post  shipment  rupee  export  credit,  introduced  from 1.4.2015, also  provides support to  exporters in accessing credit at reduced rates.
- (d) Government has created a new Logistics Division in the Department of Commerce to promote exports through reducing logistics costs in international trade. The Division is in regular touch with infrastructure Ministries and State Governments including M/o Shipping and Road and M/o Road Transport and Highways for improving last mile connectivity to industrial towns.
- (e) The values of exports and imports made during the past three years are as under:

| Years   | Exports (value in US$ billion)   | Exports (value in US$ billion)   | Exports (value in US$ billion)   | Imports (value in US$ billion)   | Imports (value in US$ billion)   | Imports (value in US$ billion)   |
|---------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
|         | Merchandise                      | Services                         | Total                            | Merchandise                      | Services                         | Total                            |
| 2015-16 | 262.29                           | 154.31                           | 416.60                           | 381.01                           | 84.64                            | 465.64                           |
| 2016-17 | 275.85                           | 164.20                           | 440.05                           | 384.36                           | 95.90                            | 480.26                           |
| 2017-18 | 303.38                           | 195.10                           | 498.48                           | 465.58                           | 117.50                           | 583.08                           |

Source: DGCI&S, Kolkata & RBI

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