The government has allowed export of uncut low-grade jute, the shipment procedures of which had been completed before a ban on its export was imposed. In a circular on Monday, the Ministry of Textiles and Jute said the shipment of Bangla Tossa Rejection (BTR) variety and Bangla White Rejection (BWR) variety of jute, for which letters of credit (L/Cs) or TT were opened before or on January 18, will be allowed. On January 18, the ministry imposed a ban on the export of BTR and BWR variety of jute as per Section 13 of Jute Law 2017. Acting on the applications from exporters, the jute department earlier prepared a list of 25 companies that opened 81 L/Cs against 175,89.26 tonnes of uncut low-grade jute. The department had also listed 24 exporters who reached 119 contracts with importers to export uncut BTR, according to a letter sent to the ministry by the jute department. The department also suggested the ministry give permission for the export only to the companies who opened L/Cs. A significant volume of Bangladesh’s total production of raw jute is of low-grade. Local jute millers do not purchase such jute. For this reason, they export these items, exporters said. Earlier, the Bangladesh Jute Association had made a formal request to the ministries concerned and the Prime Minister’s Office to lift the embargo.
