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New Delhi, July 13: The finance ministry today announced higher duty drawback rates for most export items that will come into force from July 15.

The rates, valid for all industries, have been fixed on the basis of prevailing prices of inputs, input-output norms of the director-general of foreign trade (DGFT), share of imports in the domestic consumption of inputs and the applied rates of duty.

The duty drawback scheme enables companies to obtain a refund of duties paid on imported goods where those goods are used as inputs for producing export items.

The new rates have factored in education cess, which is collected with excise and customs levies, as well as the incidence of duty on diesel and furnace oil.

The rates have taken into consideration the service tax on services that are used as inputs for exports.

The drawback list has 84 new items, including cotton bags, leather caps, aluminium artware, suitcases and handbags of plastics, tractor parts, compressors, table tennis tables and various other sports equipment and accessories.

There has been a major revision of rates prompted by changes in prices, inputs, duties and other variables.

The rate for quality silk fabrics has been increased to 8.3 per cent, with a cap of Rs 250 per kg, from 7.5 per cent and a cap of Rs 140. The rate for woollen worsted yarn grey (weaving quality) is 7.2 per cent with a cap of Rs 24 against 6.5 per cent and Rs 22 previously.

There is much to cheer for carpet exporters. In the knotted woollen carpet segment the rate is 9.4 per cent with a cap of Rs 565 per square metre compared with 8 per cent and Rs 315 previously. In silk carpets the rate is 11.8 per cent with a cap of Rs 1,600, while for cotton durries it is 9.4 per cent with a cap of Rs 20 per kg.

The rates have been increased in readymade garments: for knitted blouses, shirts and tops of cotton it is now at 6.7 per cent with a cap of Rs 29 per piece against the existing rate of 6 per cent and Rs 25. In the made-up category, the rates for bed linen, table linen, toilet linen, kitchen linen and curtains of cotton are 6.4 per cent with a cap of Rs 64 per kg against the existing rate of 5 per cent and Rs 50.