Customs duty on cement, metals cut

New Delhi: With a view to reducing the cost of manufacturing and encouraging infrastructure development, the Government has decided to reduce customs duty on cement, various raw materials and capital goods.

The customs duty on Portland cements had been reduced from 12.5 per cent to nil while the duty on primary and semi-finished forms of copper, aluminium, zinc, tin and other base metals and ferro-alloys stainless steel has been reduced from 7.5 per cent to five per cent.

The official notification issued on Monday said that the project import rate of 7.5 per cent has been extended to airport development projects and metro rail projects. Customs duty on inorganic chemicals like halogens, sulphur, carbon, hydrogen, rare gases and alkali metals has been reduced to 5 per cent from 10 per cent.