Indian Customs Investigates Soybean Imports Declared from Niger

Indian customs authorities are investigating a surge in soybean imports that were declared to originate in Niger. The authorities suspect the cargoes are actually from Nigeria and were mislabeled to evade import tariffs. Customs officials are asking importers to prove that the shipments declared as Niger origin qualify for duty-free treatment, which is available for countries producing less than 100 metric tons of soybeans annually.

Niger was the biggest declared supplier of soybeans to India during the first seven months of the year, despite producing little oilseed itself. Nigeria is Africa’s leading producer of the oilseed. If the shipments are found to have been mislabeled, importers would face the full 45% import tariff.