2 weeks ago
India imposes minimum import price on clear float glass
The government of India made a new rule about glass that comes from other countries.
The rule says foreign glass must cost at least Rs 34,000 per tonne to be sold in India.
If a company tries to sell clear float glass cheaper than that, India will not let it into the country.
This rule lasts for one year.
It applies to clear float glass that is 4 to 12 millimetres thick.
The rule was announced on August 18, 2026 by a government department called the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
It is meant to help Indian glass makers, like Saint-Gobain and Asahi India, because cheaper foreign glass was hurting their business.
Some special companies, like those that make products for export, are allowed to bring in glass at lower prices if they do not sell it inside India.
India is not stopping all glass imports — it just set a price floor so glass cannot be too cheap.
India imposed a minimum import price of Rs 34,000 per metric tonne on clear float glass for one year.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade changed the import policy for clear float glass from 'Free' to 'Restricted' in a notification dated August 18, 2026.
Imports priced at or above Rs 34,000 per tonne on a CIF basis remain permitted, while cheaper shipments face restrictions.
The move is expected to benefit domestic producers, including Saint-Gobain and Asahi India, by curbing lower-priced imports.
Advance Authorisation holders, Export Oriented Units and units in Special Economic Zones are exempt, provided the material is not sold into the Domestic Tariff Area.
- Who
- The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT); domestic producers such as Saint-Gobain and Asahi India stand to benefit.
- What
- Imposed a minimum import price of Rs 34,000 per metric tonne on clear float glass, changing its import policy from 'Free' to 'Restricted'.
- Where
- India.
- When
- August 18, 2026, with the measure in force for one year from publication of the notification.
- Why
- To restrict cheaper imports and protect domestic producers.
Key facts
- Minimum import price
- Rs 34,000 per metric tonne (CIF basis)
- Policy change
- Import policy changed from 'Free' to 'Restricted'
- Notification
- DGFT Notification No. 29/2026-27, dated August 18, 2026
- Duration
- One year from publication of the notification
- Covered products
- Non-wired clear float glass, 4 mm to 12 mm thickness
- HS codes
- 70051090 and 70052990 (Chapter 70)
- Exemptions
- Advance Authorisation holders, Export Oriented Units, SEZ units (if not sold into Domestic Tariff Area)
- Expected beneficiaries
- Saint-Gobain and Asahi India








