Government approves export of key commodities to Maldives for 2025-26

India notified exports of specified quantities of commodities like eggs, potatoes, onions, rice, wheat flour, sugar, and dal for the Maldives in the current fiscal year. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in a notification said these exports have been permitted to the Maldives under the bilateral trade agreement between the countries in 2025-26.

“Export of eggs, potatoes, onions, rice, wheat flour, sugar, dal, stone aggregate and river sand to Maldives has been permitted under the bilateral trade agreement between India and Maldives for 2025-26,” the DGFT said in a notification.

The export of these items to the Maldives will be exempted from any existing or future restriction/prohibition during this period. Items which are restricted or prohibited will be allowed only through the six designated customs ports including Mundra, Tuticorin, and Kandla.

The specified quantity allowed includes potatoes (22,589 tonnes), onions (37,537 tonnes), rice (1,30,429 tonnes), wheat flour (1114621 tonnes), sugar (67719 tonnes), dal (350 tonnes), stone aggregate (13 lakh tonnes) and river sand (13 lakh tonnes). It said that for the exports of river sand and stone aggregate, CAPEXIL (a body to promote the export of chemical and allied products) will ensure that the suppliers/extractors have obtained appropriate environmental clearances and that mining of the sand is not undertaken in the coastal regulation zone area, which is prohibited under the coastal regulation zone notification.

Exporters have to obtain necessary environmental clearances from the designated nodal authority of respective state governments from where sand is obtained. The 1981 India and Maldives trade agreement provides for the export of essential commodities. There has been an increase in the quotas for eggs, potatoes, onions, sugar, rice, wheat flour and dal (pulses).

Surrounded by the ocean, the islands in the Maldives and the many atolls don’t have enough river sand to support their construction industry, hence the need for importing sand and stone aggregates to the country. The bilateral trade between the two countries has increased to $978.53 million in 2023-24 from about $973.37 million in 2022-23.