Car imports made easier

In a move that will bring cheers on the New Year eve to those importing big cars and sports utility vehicles, the government has eased norms doing away with the mandatory requirement of shipping only from the country of manufacture.

Cars with engine capacity of more than 3,000 cc for petrol version (and 2,500 cc for diesel models) costing $40,000 or above have been exempted from the requirement of importing from the country of manufacture, a notification by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said.

It, however said: "The import of new vehicles shall be permitted only through the customs port at Nhava Sheva, Kolkata, Chennai, Cochin, ICD - Tughlakabad and Delhi air cargo, Mumbai port."

The move will help not only car lovers but also big automobile firms selling models not manufactured in India.

Earlier, the government made it easier for luxury sedans like Toyota's Lexus and Mercedes Benz S-Class to import, especially from the US, by doing away with safety and emission certificates from the 'country of origin'. However, the vehicles were to comply with European standards.