India: India Raises Basic Import Duty on US-Origin Lentils

On September 17, 2021, India’s Ministry of Finance issued Notification No. 44/2021-Customs. The basic import duty on U.S.-origin lentils is increased from 10 percent to 20 percent. India’s Agriculture Infrastructure Development Cess (AIDC), levied on imported foreign-origin (including U.S.-origin) lentils at the rate of 10 percent and the Social Welfare Surcharge (SWS) of 10 percent applied on the total duties (the basic duty plus the AIDC), remains unchanged. With this current amendment, the total effective import duty that includes the revised higher basic import duty on U.S.-origin lentils is now 33 percent. Notification No. 44/2021-Customs corrects the earlier disconnect arising between Notification No. 38/2021-Customs (July 26, 2021) (published in the official gazette) and ministerial testimony before the parliament on July 26, 2021.