Trade Sentinel
Free, Real-Time Alerts and Analyses of South Asian Trade and Investment Policy
Aug 19, 2025, India’s dual challenge holds the answer to Trump’s tariff turmoil
Punitive tariffs imposed by the US on India will hurt. Yet two truths stand out. First, India cannot afford to forsake or even downplay globalisation, as some have suggested. Second, the policy responses needed to mitigate the damage are the very reforms that India should be pursuing, regardless of the tariffs. Read the Opinion Piece in The Print
Latest Trade Notifications
Dec 5, 2024
Bangladesh imposes a 2% export tax on synthetic and fabric-based footwear and bags. This tax applies to exporters who benefit from duty bonds or duty drawbacks on imported inputs used to manufacture these products for export. The tax rate will remain in effect until June 30, 2025.
Jan 31, 2025
Indian Budget for the fiscal 2025-26, keeps the trade stance largely unchanged. Laudable efforts to simplify while keeping the effective rates unchanged by HS code is proposed. FM's Speech Extract
Aug 20, 2024
Modifies the Export Facilitation Scheme Rules, 2021. While extending the potential eligibility of applicants beyond small and medium enterprises also removes the exemption for local taxes payable on domestically purchased inputs. Extends the scope of materials allowed without quantitative restrictions from a foreign supplier from "tags and printed material" to Buttons, belts, pads, Velcro tapes, hangers, special labels, price labels, tags, special buttons, push buttons, rivets, eyelets, buckles, special brand tags, zippers, locker loops, unit soles with heels, soles, heels, valves and bladders for footballs, textile designs, artwork transparencies, polypropylene woven and jute bags imported for use in readymade garments, foundation garments, textile made-ups, footwear etc."
Nov 30, 2024
Sri Lanka imposes a Special Commodity Levy (SCL) on potatoes (HS Code 0701.90) and big onions (HS Code 0703.10.20). The SCL rates are Rs. 60 per kg for potatoes and Rs. 10 per kg for big onions. These rates will remain effective until December 31, 2024.
Policy Trends
Bangladesh Para-tariffs are Relatively High on the Products of Agriculture and Allied Sectors, and Textiles, June 2024
Blogs
Aug 19, 2025
India’s dual challenge holds the answer to Trump’s tariff turmoil - Sanjay Kathuria and T.G. Srinivasan (August 2025)
Punitive tariffs imposed by the US on India will hurt. Yet two truths stand out. First, India cannot afford to forsake or even downplay globalisation, as some have suggested. Second, the policy responses needed to mitigate the damage are the very reforms that India should be pursuing, regardless of the tariffs. Read the Opinion Piece in The Print
May 29, 2025
Can India Finally Grab Its Trade Moment? - Sanjay Kathurua(May 2025)
On April 2, President Donald Trump announced sweeping and unprecedented tariffs on U.S. trading partners, intensifying global economic uncertainty and triggering a sharp stock market decline in the United States and elsewhere. India should seize this moment to set a bold new ambition: to become a more reliable trading partner to the world than either China or the United States. Its size and long-term potential lend credibility to such a vision. Realizing it, though, will require a fundamental rethinking and overhaul of India’s trade policy approach. Read the Foreign Policy magazine piece: Can India Finally Grab Its Trade Moment?
TariffCompare
A tool to compare Current (2023-24) Import Tariff rates at more than 5000 individual tariff line levels - by a comparison table or a visual. It also displays the latest trade related notifications issued by the government for the relevant product picked, if available.