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Budget 2026: Textile industry body seeks permanent removal of cotton import duty; flags cost pressure, export risks

The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) has urged the government to permanently remove the 11 per cent import duty on cotton in the Union Budget 2026, warning that the levy is aggravating cost pressures and hurting the global competitiveness of domestic textile and apparel manufacturers, PTI reported.A CITI delegation met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj…

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Why Saudi Arabia and the UAE import sand from Australia despite their endless deserts | World News

Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE import Australian sand because desert grains are too smooth for high-strength concrete/ Image: MyBayut Sending coals to Newcastle is a phrase from the early 16th century, describing the pointless act of bringing coal to a city that already had plenty. As ironic as it may seem, similar…

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Trade shift: US deficit shrinks to 2020 low; tariff hikes reshape import flows

The US trade deficit has unexpectedly narrowed to its smallest level since 2020 as President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff hikes altered import behaviour, according to delayed Commerce Department data released on Thursday.The deficit fell 10.9% to $52.8 billion in September, even as exports rose 3% to $289.3 billion and imports edged up 0.6% to $342.1…

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Tariff war: After US, Mexico imposes up to 50% import duties on India, other Asian countries — which sector hit the hardest?

Mexico has approved steep tariff hikes of up to 50% from the year 2026 on a wide range of imports from India, China and several other Asian countries in order to protect the national industry and producers, Reuters reported.The bill passed by the Senate on Wednesday with 76 votes in favour, 5 against and 35…

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Rs 7,280 crore rare Earth magnet scheme: Industry hails REPM initiative; firms see reduced import dependence

Union Cabinet’s approval of a Rs 7,280 crore rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) scheme has been welcomed by industry executives as a major boost to India’s EV and electronics supply chains. The programme aims to create 6,000 metric tonnes per annum of integrated REPM capacity through five globally bid projects, supported by sales-linked incentives and…

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Trade dip: Exports fall 12% in October; deficit widens to $41.7 bn on gold import surge

India’s merchandise exports fell 11.8% to $34.38 billion in October, even as inbound shipments registered strong growth, pushing the trade deficit to $41.68 billion, government data released on Monday showed.Imports jumped 16.63% to $76.06 billion, driven largely by a sharp rise in precious metal inflows, PTI reported. Gold imports surged to $14.72 billion, nearly tripling…

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‘Historic first’: India seals first LPG pact with US; 2.2 MTPA deal to meet about 10% of New Delhi’s total import needs

India has finalised its first structured one-year agreement to import liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the United States, Union petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced on Monday. Describing the development as a “historic first”, he said Indian public sector oil companies had secured a contract to source LPG from the US Gulf Coast. The update…

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Masala Chai! As Americans go bananas over tariffs, Trump smells the coffee, eases import duties; relief for Indian tea and spices

US president Donald Trump The TOI correspondent from Washington: Indian spice merchants and tea growers will be among global exporters who will breathe a sigh of relief along with American consumers after US President Donald Trump, feeling the heat of rising domestic prices due to tariffs, moved to lower import duties on nearly 200 food,…

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Rare earth supply: China unlocks shipments to India after 6 months — Which companies can import?

After six months of uncertainty, China has resumed shipments of heavy rare earth magnets to India, offering much-needed relief to manufacturers in the electric vehicle, renewable energy and consumer electronics sectors. However, the shipments come with a key condition, the cargo cannot be re-exported to the United States. The supply flow had earlier been halted…

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