New Delhi: In response to escalating tensions with Malé, India has announced restrictions on exports to the Maldives, with the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) implementing port regulations for shipping essential commodities to the island nation during the fiscal year 2024-25.
The notification, issued under the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992, outlines specific conditions for exporting essential commodities categorized as prohibited or restricted to the Maldives.
Designated Indian Ports for Export to Maldives:
Essential commodities falling under the prohibited or restricted category will now be exported to the Maldives exclusively through four designated customs stations:
- Mundra Sea Port, Gujarat
- Tuticorin Sea Port, Tamil Nadu
- Nhava Sheva Sea Port (JNPT), Maharashtra
- ICD Tughlakabad, New Delhi
This decision is reportedly part of a bilateral agreement between the Government of India and the Mohamed Muizzu-led Maldivian government.
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The announcement follows India’s recent lifting of restrictions on the export of specified quantities of nine products, including potatoes, onions, eggs, rice, wheat flour, and sugar, to the Maldives for the current fiscal year.
India and the Maldives have maintained trade relations since signing a trade agreement in 1981, facilitating the export of essential commodities between the two countries.
However, bilateral relations have strained in recent times, triggered by a social media dispute leading to Indian tourists boycotting the Maldives as a travel destination in favor of Lakshadweep. Efforts have been underway from both sides to repair diplomatic ties since then.
Tensions further heightened after Mohamed Muizzu assumed the presidency, with his January request for India to withdraw military troops stationed in the Maldives. He set May 10 as the deadline for the complete withdrawal of these troops.
Initially aimed at replacing Indian military personnel with trained civilians to oversee military aircraft operations, Muizzu later announced that no Indian military personnel, even those in civilian roles, would be allowed in the country after May 10.
