India Lifting Wheat Flour Export Ban After Near 2-Year Freeze

The Indian government has lifted its ban on exporting wheat flour and related products, effective immediately. The move is a reversal of a policy implemented in July 2022, when the country halted wheat exports due to soaring local prices following a nearly 40% surge in global rates.

At that time, India had stepped up its own wheat exports as the Russia-Ukraine conflict disrupted logistics and trade routes. The Black Sea region, which accounts for about a quarter of all wheat trade, was severely impacted by the war.

India has since tried to fill the vacuum left by reduced global exports, but now with the ban lifted, the country can freely export wheat flour and related products, including maida, semolina, wholewheat atta, and resultant atta. The new policy allows for unlimited exports of these items.