Goyal refutes rumours of govt reducing import duties on Chinese apples

New Delhi: Dismissing rumours about cheap Chinese apples coming into India, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said the government has not reduced any duties and all imports take place in accordance with the WTO stipulations.

"Some people are spreading falsehood that the government has reduced duties on apples coming from China. This is a rumour without any basis. Government has not taken any such decision," he said at a press conference while replying to a question on cheap apples coming from the neighbouring country. All imports take place under the norms prescribed by the World Trade Organization (WTO), he said.

"I was asked this question earlier also...No such decision has been taken. I feel some people's job is only to spread baseless rumours which have no meaning," he said.

The minister also informed that India's exports in the current fiscal stood at $185 billion till September 21, and may touch $195 billion by the end of the first half of 2021-22.

"We all are very familiar that any year, if you split it in two halves, you have a much better performance (in the second half) than the first in a normal year," he said.