Exports of jute goods from Bangladesh to India almost halved in 2nd half of the just concluded financial year 2016-17 compared to the same period of last financial year due to the anti-dumping duty imposed by the neighbouring country on the products on January 5 this year. According to the Export promotion Bureau data, export earnings from jute goods shipment to India in January-June of the FY 17 fell by 49.94 per cent to $40.96 million from $81.83 million in the same period of the FY 16. India imposed anti-dumping duty ranging from $6.30 to $351.72 a tonne on jute goods from Bangladesh on January 5. Export of jute goods (jute Yarn, twine, sacks, bags and fabrics) to India in the July-December period of the FY 17 decreased by 23.81 per cent to $62.60 million from $82.16 million in the same period of FY 16.Earnings from jute goods export to India had been on a declining trend in the 1st half of the FY17 but the trend accelerated in the 2nd half of the financial year following imposition of anti-dumping duty by India. Shahidul Karim, secretary of Bangladesh Jute Spinners’ Association, on Tuesday told New Age that jute goods export to India severely hampered in the FY 17 due to anti-dumping duty.‘After compiling the export data of the exporters the real situation could be revealed as we requested our members to submit their export reports to the association,’ he said. Karim, however, said that export of jute Yarn and twine to India declined by more than 50 per cent in the just concluded financial year. Earnings from India by exporting jute goods in the July-June period of FY 17 declined by 36.85 per cent to $103.56 million from $164 million in the same period of FY 16, the EPB data showed.Following the imposition of anti-dumping duty by the Indian authorities, some of the Indian importers were getting delivery of few consignments of jute goods with the payment of duty but the quantity was very small, Bangladesh Jute Mills Association secretary Abdul Bari Khan earlier told New Age.He said that the jute mills owners requested government to impose duty on raw jute export as Bangladesh’s raw jute export is mostly concentrated to India.Bari said that they also requested government for making mandatory the packaging of poultry and fish feed with jute bags that can increase the domestic consumption of jute bags by 25 per cent.
