New Delhi, May 19 (KNN) India has imported 51,000 tonnes of cotton from Australia for 2023 under the Australia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (AI-CECA), reported Australia Today.

A four-member delegation from Australian Cotton Shippers Association (ACSA) is in India (Coimbatore, Mumbai and Ludhiana) to meet with stakeholders in the cotton and textile industries.

Cliff White, a member of the visiting delegation, told local media that apart from the 51,000-tonnes quota for 2023, there is a small quantity that is imported by India with duty.

Speaking at an event in Mumbai, John Southwell, Australia's Trade and Investment Commissioner for food, agriculture and consumer goods in India, highlighted how Australian cotton could contribute further to the Indian economy.

He added that these imports through AIECTA "build on connections sometimes going back decades."

According to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), cotton export value is forecast to increase by 146 per cent to USD 5.5 billion in 2022–23. 

Indian textile associations have also appealed to the government to increase the import quota for duty-free cotton imports from Australia.  (KNN Bureau)