The central government is planning to ban Chinese silk imports as officials from the textile ministry have informed the quality of Banarasi silk saris have been depleting due to cheap imports from China. The central government’s plans were conveyed during a meeting of the Standing Committee on Labor. The committee deliberated on the subject of ‘Challenges and Opportunities — Indian Textile Industry.’

The center has been discouraging Chinese imports for sometime as anti-China sentiment has also strengthened. The government has also pushed for boosting domestic manufacturing and cutting exports even while not explicitly stating that imports from so and so countries need to be curbed.

This is not the first move by the central government to curb imports and discourage products made out of India. Earlier too, the central government had directed e-commerce companies to display ‘Country of Origin’ tag prominently for products listed on their platforms to cut down on imports. Other countries have also raised their concerns regarding purchase of textile from China. For instance, the US is likely to announce a ban on cotton imports from Xinjiang region of China.