In a move that is expected to give boost to rice exports, India has approached the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) for allowing duty-free exports of all the 29 varieties of basmati rice notified by the agriculture ministry. At present, under a code of practice and regulations signed in 2004, only eight varieties of basmati rice are allowed duty-free exports from India to EU and UK while those varieties notified afterwards, especially Pusa 1121 (2008) and Pusa 1509 (2013), which constitute at least 70% of around 4 million tonne of aromatic rice exports annually, are subject to a higher level of import duties.