Textile industry wants low tariffs or duty free access to enhance its export as competing nations like Pakistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, Bangladesh are getting larger benefits and open window market access.

C K Narayanasaami, chairman, Cotton Development & Research Association and K Selvaraju, secretary general, Southern India Mills’ Association (SIMA) met the union commerce minister, Nirmala Sitharaman during her visit to Coimbatore and handed over a 10-point memorandum with the industry’s demands.

The association flagged how textile products from India attract very high tariff rates in all the major markets like China, EU, USA, Canada, and Australia. In comparison, those from Pakistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh, South Korea, Indonesia, Cambodia either attract very low tariff or have duty free access.

The industry has requested the centre to extend the three per cent interest subvention for all textile products. It also wants MEIS scheme benefits to be extended to cotton.

Industry urged the government to exempt domestic supply of capital goods under the EPCG scheme from terminal excise duty by introducing suitable bond procedure as against obtaining refund at a later date.

It also appealed to the government to remove import duties and reduce the central excise duty from 12.5 per cent to 6 per cent and also withdraw anti-dumping duties, remove the 6 per cent central excise duty on shuttleless looms (projectile) and 12.5 per cent on other shuttleless looms. The association wants Bangladesh to remove duty on Indian cotton yarn. Cotton yarn import is subject to customs duty of over 36 per cent there.