No import of ammonium nitrate without permission: DGFT

NEW DELHI: Seeking to prevent pilferage of ammonium nitrate and its misuse by terrorists, the government has banned the imports of certain specifications of the chemical without permission of the Chief Controller of Explosives.

"Import of Ammonium Nitrate having the chemical formula NH4NO3 or any combination containing more than 45 per cent of Ammonium Nitrate by weight including emulsions, suspensions, melts or gels, and classified as explosive under Explosives Act, 1884, is subject to licence from Chief Controller of Explosives under the Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2012," Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a notification.

According to reports, traces of ammonium nitrate were found at the bomb blast site at Bodh Gaya.

On July 11, the government had also issued an order making it clear that traders dealing with the chemical will have to comply with restrictive norms till January 2014.

The entities dealing with the chemical will have to comply with the norms relating to manufacturing, conversion, import, export, stevedoring, bagging, transport and possession for sale or use of the ammonium nitrate.

The government has been tightening the norms for usage of this chemical to check its misuse by terrorists.