India blocks float glass imports below ₹34,000 per tonne for one year. The DGFT's price floor shields Saint-Gobain and Asahi India from cheap shipments but exempts EOU and SEZ units.
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India has blocked imports of clear float glass priced below ₹34,000 per tonne, a one-year protection that directly benefits domestic producers Saint-Gobain and Asahi India.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade reclassified two HS codes for non-wired clear float glass of 4-12 mm thickness from "Free" to "Restricted" in an August 18 notification. Imported glass at or above the ₹34,000 CIF threshold stays open; anything below hits the restriction.
The notification runs for one year from publication. It covers ITC codes 70051090 and 70052990–the two main product categories for clear float glass used in construction and automotive applications.
"The minimum import price is ₹34,000 per metric tonne on CIF basis," the DGFT said in the notification.
Exemptions apply for Advance Authorisation holders, Export Oriented Units, and Special Economic Zone units as long as those imports are not resold into the domestic tariff area. This carve-out protects trade-linked manufacturing while walling off the open market.
The price floor targets the low-cost competition that has been undercutting Saint-Gobain and Asahi India on domestic construction tenders. Both companies operate float glass plants across multiple Indian states and have faced margin pressure from cheaper Chinese and Southeast Asian cargoes.
The move stops short of a full import ban. It functions as a floor: imports above the threshold continue as before. The restriction bites only on the cheaper shipments that have been winning share from local producers.
Traders said the ₹34,000 level was set close to current domestic pricing, meaning the policy could block most spot cargoes priced to clear the Indian market at a discount. The notification does not set a quantity cap above the price floor.
Saint-Gobain runs float glass lines in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Asahi India's float glass capacity is concentrated in Gujarat and surrounding states. Together they supply roughly 70% of India's float glass needs, with the balance imported mostly from Malaysia, Indonesia, and China.
The restriction runs for one year from the date of publication. DGFT notification No. 29/2026-27 dated August 18 sets the start.
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