steel
Govt must avoid protectionist measures. The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry last week issued a statement to the effect that all imports of paper products — from newsprint to letter paper — will require pre-registration.
Image Source: Business StandardFrom October 1, according to the new requirements, imports will be subject to a Paper Import Monitoring System, which will require importers to register themselves in a manner similar to systems that have been put into place in the past for steel and coal.
There can be little justification for this return to the licence-quota raj in yet another industry.
It is yet another step backward for India towards the pre-liberalisation period, especially as the specific justification provided by the ministry is protectionist in nature, with the relevant statement saying the “move will also go a long way in promoting Make in India and Atmanirbhar in this category”. The misuse of “Make in India”, intended initially to create global competitiveness for Indian industry...
Source: https://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/another-anti-trade-action-122053001487_1.html