Restrictions on furniture imports

The government is expected to place restrictions on imports of furniture with an aim to promote indigenous manufacturing and cut down inbound shipments of non-essential items, according to an official report. The Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade has recommended these restrictions to the Department of Commerce, and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade is expected to bring out a notification soon. With this imposition, an importer will need a license or permission for importing furniture. India imported US$ 603 million worth of furniture in 2018-19, out of which China accounted for US$ 311 million, with other top import destinations being  Malaysia, Germany, Italy, and Singapore. With an estimated size of US$ 5 billion and exports of US$ 1 billion, the furniture sector in India is largely fragmented and unorganised.