The Maldives will continue to import onions from India under a trade agreement despite the country's absence from the latest list of countries approved for onion exports, India has said.
An Indian official told Adhadhu that onion exports to the Maldives will continue with a quota set under a trade agreement between the Maldives and India.
The Maldives will not face difficulties in importing onions under the quota, the official said.
The trade agreement between the Maldives and India, which was renewed in 2021, is due to expire in 2024.
Under the agreement, the Maldives will be able to import onions, rice, sugar, flour, potatoes, eggs, lentils and construction materials under a quota set until next year.
Last year, India temporarily banned onion exports until March this year but recently authorized a special quota for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Bahrain, Bhutan and Nepal.
Despite the ban, India previously arranged the quota for neighboring countries upon request.
The exclusion of the Maldives from the list of exempted countries prompted fears that the price of onions could spike in the coming days, especially during Ramadan, if the Maldives was unable to buy from India, the world’s second-largest onion exporter.
