Government Announces 30% Import Duty on Yellow Peas from November 1, 2025
The Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) recently issued a notification (No. 46/2025-Customs Dated 29th October, 2025), notifying the updated rates for the import of Yellow Peas. As per the notification, the Central government has decided to impose a 10% Standard rate and a 20% Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) (total 30% import duty) on the import of Yellow peas, subject to the condition that the Bill of Lading is issued on or after November 1, 2025.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 25 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962) read with section 124 of the Finance Act, 2021 (13 of 2021), the Central Government, on being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, hereby exempts the goods of the description specified in column (3) of the Table below, falling under the tariff item of the First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (51 of 1975), specified in the corresponding entry in column (2) of the said Table, when imported into India, from so much of the duty of customs leviable thereon under the said First Schedule to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (51 of 1975), as is in excess of the amount calculated at the standard rate specified in the corresponding entry in column (4) of the said Table and from so much of the Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (hereinafter referred to as ‘AIDC’) leviable thereon under the said section of the Finance Act, 2021 (13 of 2021), as is in excess of the amount calculated at the AIDC rate specified…,” the notification said.
Therefore, the shipments with the bill of lading dated on or before October 31, 2025, are exempted from the import duty.
The government had earlier announced a duty-free import of yellow peas until March 31, 2026. However, the farmers had requested the authorities to protect the domestic farmers from the cheap import of Yellow Peas. The price of yellow peas being imported was much lower than the price at which local farmers sell their pulses. Imported peas were priced around Rs 40 to Rs 50 per kg, lower than the domestic prices. This was causing problems for the Indian farmers. Therefore, many farmers requested the government to curb the cheap imports to protect domestic farming.
Since the import is no more duty-free after November 1, 2025, the government has also issued another notification (No. 47/2025-Customs, dated 29th October), to make further amendments in an earlier notification of the government (No. 64/2023-Customs, dated 7th December, 2023), replacing the words and figures “31st day of March, 2026″ with the words and figures, “31st day of October, 2025.”
