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especially non-essential goods. “Certain categories of goods from China are tak-
ing more time to get cleared since Customs Authorities are not immediately
checking those containers. They have categorised goods as essentials and non-
essentials and the containers with non-essentials have been pushed into the
background for examination at a later day. So they are not saying that we won’t
examine but not giving it importance as imported items from other countries,”
the person said.
Since the consumption pattern won’t change immediately, the delay in
clearances especially for non-essential goods such as toys, electrical equipment
are being seen as a nudge for importers to change their import pattern from Chi-
na. “There is nothing direct about the instructions from Customs Authorities. But
the implicit message for importers is that importing non-essentials will take
longer for clearances. It has taken some days for the importers to realise the rea-
sons for the held up consignments. With the delays in Customs clearances, the
demurrage charges will go up, and is likely to offset the gains from the imports
from China for such importers, thus, disincentivising them,” the source said.
A senior official in the Chennai Customs zone said Customs Authorities
examine certain types of cargo based on intelligence inputs as part of routine
inspection and some of the import consignments under question are from China.
Queries E-mailed to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (C.B.I. &
C.) and Ministry of Finance on this issue went unanswered till press time.
Possible curbs on imports from China in the form of tariff or non-tariff
barriers are being discussed with the Government said to be considering a list of
imported items for the various restrictive measures. China accounts for around
14 per cent of India’s total imports.
[Source : The Indian Express, New Delhi, dated 24-6-2020]

Centre notifies norms for import of maize at concessional
duty — Tariff Rate Quota Scheme
Amid sliding prices of maize in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown, the
Centre has notified norms for import of 5 lakh tonnes of maize under Tariff Rate
Quota Scheme during the current financial year at a concessional Customs duty
of 15 per cent.
At present, maize attracts 50 per cent. import duty.
The move may further dampen the hopes of maize farmers, who were
expecting prices to rise with pickup in demand after un-lockdown.
Maize farmers in Bihar, who account for over 80 per cent. of India’s 6-7
million tonnes (mt) of annual production of rabi maize, are facing difficulties in
selling their produce as prices have gone down to ` 1,100-1,250 per quintal, much
lower than ` 2,000-2,400 per quintal last year and the Government’s Minimum
Support Price (MSP) of ` 1,760 per quintal for 2019-20. The State is headed for
Assembly elections in October-November.
A notification issued by the Department of Revenue shows that the Gov-
ernment has also notified norms for import of 10,000 tonnes of “milk and cream
in powder, granules” for this year at a concessional duty of 15 per cent. under
Tariff Rate Quota scheme.
EXCISE LAW TIMES  1st July 2020  57