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QRs to be imposed on 600 items

Sidhartha

Even as commerce and industry minister Murasoli Maran would announce the removal of quantitative restrictions (QRs) on 715 items in this year's Exim Policy, he will simultaneously impose QRs on 600 items under Article XX and XXI of General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT).

Top sources said that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has already been informed about the decision and a list of items has also been submitted to them.

Article XX of GATT provides for initiating measures to protect human, animal or plant life or health and to protect public morals, conservation of exhaustible natural resources etc. Article XXI provides for measures to be taken under security exceptions.

Amongst the agricultural products, the government will maintain QRs on items like sugarcane, beet, opium, roses, spawn mushrooms, potatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, groundnuts, cumin and turmeric.

A variety of seeds like wheat, rice, cotton, muslin, maize, jawar, bajra, sunflower, castor, mustard oil are also listed in the category. Restrictions on seeds have been put to protect the countries genetic wealth, sources said.

Also unani and aurvedic herbs will face restrictions as would morphine, tetracycline, penicillin, streptomycin, ampicillin, amoxycilin, cloxacillin, ephedrine, some of them in capsule form.

Even bandages, plaster of paris, first aid kits and boxes, medicated cotton wool adhesive tapes, to name a few will be under QRs.

The list also includes fertilisers like ammonium nitro sulphate and other natural and vegetable fertilisers.

Some items commonly used by consumers like audio and video tapes, safety matches, insect repellents in the form of tablets and cake, coils etc, fungicides and disinfectants are also included.

Amongst the list of chemicals on which the government proposes to maintain QRs include DDT, aldrin, aluminum phosphide, acetic anhydride and several other organic chemicals.

Industrial and metal wastes like lead residues, copper and other ash, aluminum waste, zinc waste, tin waste, nickel waste, and radio active elements like uranium, thorium and even spent fuel elements of nuclear reactors will continue to attract QRs.

The list of items on which QRs will be maintained even after March 31 this year includes products from a variety of categories including animal and animal products which number over 100.

The government also proposes to maintain QRs on gold and silver jewelry and other items manufactured from the two precious metals including jewelry sets with diamond and precious stones.

Communication equipment like TV and radio broadcast equipment including VHF/UHF, microwave equipment, satellite communication equipment, radar apparatus etc have been put under the list.

Defence items like tanks, bombs, grenades, torpedos, missiles, airgun pellets and cartridges, blasting powder, gun powder, prepared explosives are on the list of items. Similarly, QRs will continue on military weapons, other than revolvers and pistols and muzzle loading firearms.

Aviation items are also part of the list.

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