REGULATIONS
AND PROCEDURES
All imports now fall into one of the following four categories:
- freely importable items; Most
capital goods fall into this category. Items in this category do not
require import licences and may be freely imported by any individual
or entity.
- licensed imports; Certain items can
be imported only with licences and only by actual users. The current
"negative list" of items in this category includes several
broad product groups that are classified as consumer goods; precious
and semi-precious stones; products related to safety and security;
seeds, plants and animals; some insecticides, pharmaceuticals and
chemicals; some electronical items; several items reserved for
production by the small-scale sector; and 17 miscellaneous or
special-category items. In April 1993 the government ended licensing
requirements for several agricultural items, including prawns,
shrimp and poultry feed.
- canalised items; Items under this
category can be imported only by specified public-sector agencies.
These include petroleum products (to be imported only by the Indian
Oil Corporation); nitrogenous phosphatic, potassic and complex
chemical fertilizers (by the Minerals and Metals Trading
Corporation) vitamin- A drugs (by the State Trading Corporation);
oils and seeds (by the State Trading Corporation and Hindustan
Vegetable Oils); and cereals (by the Food Corporation of India).
- prohibited items; Only three
items-tallow fat, animal rennet and unprocessed ivory-are completely
banned from importation.
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