Exports of a specified quantity of essential commodities to the Maldives have been exempted from any kind of domestic restrictions or prohibition in the current fiscal year, stated an official notification, issued Tuesday.

"Export of potatoes, onions, … rice, sugar and eggs has been permitted to Maldives under bilateral trade agreement between India and Maldives during the period 2019-20, with effect from April," said the directorate general of foreign trade. The export of these items to the Maldives will be exempted from any existing or future restrictions/prohibition.

The bilateral trade between the two countries increased to US$222.68 million in 2017-18, starting from US$ 206.97 million in the previous fiscal year.

Last year, there were reports from a section of the media that India had lowered the limits on the export of certain essential commodities such as potatoes and onions to the Maldives. But India had dubbed those reports as "misleading". It had stated that requirements were calculated based on actual utilisation in the recent past and were consistent with the trade agreement between the two sides.

It is explained that how Indias ties with Maldives nose-dived after it had criticised the Abdulla Yameen government for imposing a 45-day emergency in the archipelago nation earlier in 2018.