The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), subsequent to the approval of the Ministry of the Commerce and Industry, notified the amendment in Annexure 2X of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023, vide notification No. 14 /2023 on 14th June 2023.
The DGFT has amended the list of the nations exempted from the testing for the presence of azo dyes in textiles and textile articles under Appendix 2X of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), 2023, in the exercise of the authority granted under paragraphs 1.03 and 2.04 of the FTP, 2023, superseding Public Notice No. 10/2015-2020 dated 15.05.2016.
The updated appendix-2X states that imports coming from the following nations will not be subject to the requirement to test textiles and textile products for the presence of Azo Dyes.
The Azo Dyes is a group of artificial organic substances that are frequently employed as colouring agents in many different industries, including textile, cosmetic, printing, and food.
The countries listed are European Union (EU) Countries, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom. These are the countries exempted from testing for presence of Azo Dyes in the Textiles and Textile Articles.
A total of 112 azo and benzidine-based dyes are prohibited from handling under Indian law. India’s government outlawed the use of 42 benzidine-based colours in 1993. In 1997, the Ministry of Environment and Forests added 70 more azo dyes to its list of substances that were not to be handled.
Many nations have established guidelines and laws in place to limit the use of azo dyes in consumer goods in order to address these concerns. For instance, the European Union has prohibited the use of several azo dyes in clothing and other items that have prolonged or direct skin contact.
Further, the countries like Canada and Japan also prohibited the use of azo dyes. Thus, the government has exempted these countries from testing the presence of the Azo Dyes in the Textiles and Textile Articles.
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