Union Minister discusses to increase import duty on silk

In order to discuss the demand for increasing import duty on silk, Union Minister of State for Textiles Santosh Kumar Gangwar has invited Karnataka’s Sericulture Minister A. Manju and MP of Mysuru Pratap Simha to New Delhi for the same.

There was a need to discuss the matter with the concerned Ministries as import duty comes under the Union Ministry of Commerce, said Mr. Gangwar.

Mr. Gangwar had to discuss this matter because sericulture farmers in Karnataka faced difficulties after a reduction in import duty on silk.

The import duty on raw silk, which used to be around 30 per cent a few years ago, was brought down from 15 per cent to 10 per cent in the last Union Budget.

This decrease brought down the price of Chinese silk, which in turn led to a decline in price of cocoons reared in Karnataka.

Currently, India produces 29,000 tonnes of silk per annum and thus needs to import raw silk and silk fabric to the tune of 6,000 to 7,000 tonnes mainly from China to meet the growing demand.

Recent Posts

AbTF expands sustainable fiber programs

AbTF strengthened its work on sustainably verified natural fibers in 2025, continuing to expand its programs despite challenges across global…

3 days ago

UK-funded project to turn cotton waste into bio-coal

A new UK-funded clean energy project is set to begin in Pakistan, with the aim of converting cotton and other…

3 days ago

Researchers to make sandy soil more fertile using biopolymers

Researchers are investigating whether microorganisms can help improve desert sand conditions and make them more suitable for agriculture while using…

4 days ago

Woolchemy, Lenzing create wool-based layer for hygiene products

Woolchemy and Lenzing are collaborating on a new ADL for hygiene products that combines New Zealand wool with wood-based VEOCEL…

4 days ago

Researchers develop leather alternative from mycelium

Researchers in Finland have developed a leather-like material made from mushroom mycelium, the network of fine fibres that grows beneath…

4 days ago

UAE, Ellen MacArthur Foundation to promote textile circularity

The UAE has partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to support the development of policies aimed at making the country’s…

5 days ago