Importers of newsprint and a range of other paper products such as handmade paper, wallpaper base, carbon paper and toilet paper will now have to compulsorily register under the government’s ‘Paper Import Monitoring System’ in a move aimed at checking the dumping of such items in the domestic market.

“The import policy of major paper products has been amended from ‘Free’ to ‘Free subject to compulsory registration under Paper Import Monitoring System’. A notification to this effect has been issued by the DGFT yesterday,” according to a press statement circulated by the Commerce & Industry Ministry on Thursday. Online facility of registration for importers will be available from July 15.

Some exemption

Paper products like currency paper, bank bond and cheque paper, security printing paper, etc. have been excluded from this policy change. The move will also promote Make In India and Aatmanirbhar in this category, the statement added.

“The domestic paper industry has been raising issues of dumping of paper products in the domestic market by way of under-invoicing, entry of prohibited goods by mis-declaration, re-routing goods through other countries in lieu of trade agreements. A large proportion of paper products are imported under ‘Others’ category tariff lines,” it observed.

Implementation process of Paper Import Monitoring System (PIMS) has been made user-friendly, the release said.

Importers can get an automatic registration number online by paying a registration fee of ₹500. “The importer can apply for registration not earlier than 75th day and not later than 5th day before the expected date of arrival of import consignment. The automatic registration number thus granted shall remain valid for a period of 75 days,” the release said. Multiple Bills of Entry shall be allowed in the same registration number within the validity period of registration for the permitted quantity.

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