India Bans Import of Forced Labour Goods

India issued a notification on 13 July 2026 through the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) to prohibit the import of goods manufactured wholly or in part through forced labour. The measure was inserted into the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), 2023, through Paragraph 2.20B and became the first Indian import restriction linked specifically to forced labour.

Foreign Trade Policy and DGFT

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and administers India’s foreign trade regulations. The Foreign Trade Policy, 2023, is the policy framework that governs imports, exports, and related compliance requirements in India.

Forced Labour Convention and Legal Definition

The notification uses the definition of forced labour aligned with the International Labour Organization’s Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29). The convention defines forced or compulsory labour as work exacted from a person under the menace of any penalty and for which the person has not offered himself or herself voluntarily.

Trade Enforcement and Procedure

The DGFT has been empowered to inquire into allegations of forced labour in the production of imported goods. The authority can recommend prohibition of such goods on the basis of evidence, and the new rules will take effect 30 days after publication in the Official Gazette.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade is the authority that issues notifications under India’s foreign trade framework.
• Paragraph 2.20B was added to the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023, for this restriction.
• The International Labour Organization adopted the Forced Labour Convention in 1930 as Convention No. 29.
• Section 301 is a trade remedy provision used by the United States in investigations involving unfair trade practices.

Related International Trade Context

The notification comes in the context of global supply-chain rules that address labour standards in cross-border trade. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal approved the notification, which creates a formal legal basis for examining forced labour in imported goods.