The government on Thursday imposed restrictions on the imports of Mercury, used in different sectors including older thermometers, fluorescent light bulbs and electrical switches.

       "Import policy of mercury has been revised from free to restricted, subject to obtaining prior informed consent from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

       Earlier, there were no restrictions on the imports, but now an importer would have seek permission from the government.

       Import of mercury stood at USD 6.15 million in 2020-21. It was USD 3.49 million during April-June this fiscal.

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