Chennai: The Madras high court has stayed the operation of a notification by the Director General of Foreign Trade, whereby import of fresh apples has been restricted only through the Port of Nhava Sheva in Maharashtra.
Justice M. M. Sundresh granted the interim stay on petitions filed by eight importers, including Mudra Exports in Chennai. “Counsel for the petitioners submitted that in a similar matter, this court, taking into consideration, the order of interim stay granted by the Kerala high court, in respect of the notification, granted an order of interim say on January 8. In such view of the matter, there shall be an order of interim stay in these petitions as well”, the judge added.
According to petitioners, the Chennai port accounts for more than 50 per cent of apple import into India. Nhava Sheva accounts for 47 percent while other smaller ports such as Cochin and Kolkata import the remaining percentage of apple.
While so, the DGFT issued a notification dated September 14, 2015, restricting the import of fresh apples only through the Port of Nhava Sheva.
This restriction curtailed their free trade rights and put them at disadvantage in respect of pricing, the petitioner added and sought to quash the notification and also direct the authorities to release the consignment of imported apples of the petitioners made through Chennai seaport without any restriction.
