Export thru Bhomra port falls to $243k from $1.3m following India’s import ban

Exports from Bangladesh through the Bhomra Land Port in Satkhira have plummeted following a sudden import ban imposed by the Indian government, with the value of exports dropping from approximately $1.3 million to just $243,000 in a single day.

According to Bhomra customs station data, a total of 106 trucks crossed the border on 17 May carrying goods such as jute yarn, food items (toast, juice, chips, lychee), yarn waste, caps, ready-made garments, travel bags, and furniture. 

The combined weight of the exported goods was 835.446 tonnes, with a total value of $1.3 million.

However, following the implementation of India's import restrictions, only 28 trucks managed to cross the border on 18 May. These included shipments of yarn waste, reprocessed plastic, cotton knitted fabrics, jute yarn, and travel bags. The total volume fell to 275.763 tonnes, and the value of exports dropped to just $243,000.

Russell Ahmed, revenue officer at Bhomra land port, said India's ban, imposed on 17 May, targeted several key product categories, notably garments and plastic goods – both of which were major export items through Bhomra. 

"There are currently no export trucks stuck at the port," he said. "But the full impact of this ban will become clearer in the coming weeks. It is expected to significantly affect revenue collection and the broader economy."

India restricted the import of at least seven categories of Bangladeshi goods, including readymade garments, fruits and processed foods, through its land ports – just a month after Bangladesh banned yarn imports via the same route.

The ban, outlined in a 17 May notification from India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Commerce, stipulates that garments from Bangladesh may now only enter India through Kolkata and Nhava Sheva, Mumbai, seaports.

The restrictions will not apply to Bangladeshi goods transiting through India but destined for Nepal and Bhutan.