Exporters briefed on duty-free access and new markets under India’s FTAs.
The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) and Powerloom Development & Export Promotion Council (PDEXCIL), in association with the Southern India Mills Association (SIMA), organised an awareness session in Coimbatore on the benefits of India’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) for textile industry stakeholders and exporters.
Shailesh Martis, Additional Director, TEXPROCIL, said the programme aimed to provide stakeholders with a clearer understanding of FTA benefits and ways to utilise them. The event was TEXPROCIL’s second FTA outreach programme in India and its first in Tamil Nadu. He added that rising freight costs and tighter container availability across key West Asian trade routes have affected Indian exports, increasing the need to explore alternative markets.
During the session, a representative from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) highlighted the export potential created by India’s recent trade agreements. FTAs with markets including the UAE, Australia, EFTA nations, the UK, Oman and New Zealand have removed import tariffs ranging from 4 to 11 per cent on eligible products, providing Indian textile exporters with duty-free access and improved competitiveness.
Tamil Nadu is well positioned to benefit from these agreements due to its specialised textile clusters, including Coimbatore for woven cotton, Tiruppur for knitwear, Karur for home textiles and Erode for powerloom products. Exporters were also briefed on obtaining Certificates of Origin through the e-Connect platform to establish that eligible goods originate in India.
Industry participants were encouraged to expand exports of products such as terry towels, kitchen linen, baby garments and cotton T-shirts. The session also highlighted opportunities in large global product segments such as jerseys and trousers, where India currently holds a relatively small market share.
News source: The Covai Mail