India opens duty-free and cut-rate import quotas for medical-grade polymers under Oman CEPA

INDIA – India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade has invited applications for Tariff Rate Quota allocation under the India–Oman CEPA for medical-grade polymers including LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, polypropylene and PVC resins, with the application window open until 19 August 2026.

The notified quotas cover a range of polymer and petrochemical products essential for pharmaceutical and medical packaging, including linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene, propylene copolymers, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymers, suspension grade polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flakes. 

These materials are widely used across the pharmaceutical, medical packaging, and industrial manufacturing sectors. 

The application window opened on 4 August 2026 and will close on 19 August 2026. 

How TRQ Allocation Benefits Medical and Packaging Manufacturers

The TRQ framework provides for tariff reduction or phased elimination on specified quantities of imports, allowing domestic manufacturers to source essential raw materials at reduced or zero duty. 

Polypropylene is extensively used in the production of syringes, vials, intravenous containers, and laboratory components due to its chemical resistance, heat tolerance, and compatibility with sterilisation processes. 

Medical-grade LLDPE is used for manufacturing sterile intravenous bags, pharmaceutical blister packaging, and seal liners, while LDPE is preferred for flexible pharmaceutical packaging, dropper bottles, and sterile liquid containers. HDPE, defined as polyethylene with a specific gravity of 0.94 or more, is extensively used in the manufacture of medicine bottles and chemical containers. 

The notified polyethylene tariff lines have been allocated a TRQ quantity of 75,000 metric tonnes, with polypropylene and propylene copolymers receiving a quota of 10,700 metric tonnes.

Imports under the TRQ are subject to the India–Oman CEPA Rules of Origin and require a valid Certificate of Origin issued by the competent authority in Oman.

Application Process and Compliance Requirements

Applications must be submitted online through the DGFT Import Management System, with the application window open from 4 August to 19 August 2026. 

For the notified PET flake tariff lines, applicants are required to submit a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 

The TRQ authorisations will be issued electronically and transmitted to the Indian Customs Electronic Data Interchange System, with imports permitted only after electronic debit of the authorised quantity.

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