India waives all customs duties on cotton imports from June 1 to Oct 30, 2026

The government has temporarily exempted all customs duties and AIDC cess on cotton imports for a five-month window, aiming to cut input costs for textile and apparel manufacturers, particularly SMEs, while securing steady raw material supply through the peak production season.

— Source publishedSat, 30 May, 2026, 18:51 IST·First seen Sat, 30 May, 2026, 20:04 IST·Source NDTV Profit

What happened

Government of India · India has waived all customs duties and AIDC cess on cotton imports from June 1 to October 30, 2026, aiming to lower input costs for the

Key facts

  • June 1 to Oct 30, 2026

Why this matters

The five-month duty waiver creates a tactical sourcing arbitrage and a window to renegotiate supply agreements or evaluate bolt-on acquisitions of cotton-dependent SMEs gaining transient cost advantage.