India adds new import surcharge and higher chickpea duty

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India’s government has made it even more expensive to export products — including pulse crops — into the country.

On Tuesday, India announced a 10 percent increase to its duty on chickpeas, raising the import tariff from 30 to 40 percent.

The move comes days after the India’s finance minister introduced a new surcharge to fund social welfare programs in the government’s budget. The surcharge rate has been set at 10 percent of the aggregate duties on most imports into the country.

The combined import tariff and surcharge rate for lentils is now 33 percent, and 44 percent for chickpeas.

Both green and yellow peas are exempt from the surcharge, according to Pulse Canada, with the import tariff remaining at 50 percent, as imposed in November. (It’s not clear whether that’s because India is at its maximum allowable limit for peas under WTO rules.)

Related: What will it take for India to lift tariffs?

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