New Delhi: India has lifted export restrictions on nine essential items on Friday, including potatoes, onions, eggs, rice, wheat flour, and sugar, to the Maldives for the current fiscal year.
This move comes as India approved the highest-ever export quota for essential commodities to the Maldives under a bilateral mechanism. In response, Foreign Affairs Minister Moosa Zameer expressed his gratitude to External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar for this decision.
In a statement on the social media platform X, Zameer emphasized that this gesture signifies the longstanding friendship between the two nations and highlights a strong commitment to further expand bilateral trade and commerce.
“The export of these items to the Republic of Maldives will be exempted from any existing or future restriction or prohibition on export,” stated the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in a notification.
These exports to the Maldives have been permitted under the bilateral trade agreement between the countries for the fiscal year 2024-25.
It is noteworthy that India and the Maldives signed a trade agreement in 1981, facilitating the export of essential commodities. This agreement allows for specific quantities, including 21,513.08 tonnes of potatoes, 35,749.13 tonnes of onions, 124,218.36 tonnes of rice, 109,162.96 tonnes of wheat flour, 64,494.33 tonnes of sugar, and 224.48 tonnes of pulses.
