Cochin Port Trust is no longer among the ports notified by the Union Government to import chemicals and intermediates covered under the Insecticides Act of 1968. The logistics involved in sourcing such goods from distant ports like Mumbai and Chennai is bound to push up prices, of both raw materials and finished products. The decision to de-notify Cochin Port Trust will serve as a major setback for companies in Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Customs at Cochin Port had been collecting a revenue of around Rs.100-150 crore as duty through the import of insecticides annually.
