50% Import Duty Surcharge Expires Dec 31 — Will It Really Be Allowed to Lapse?

The 50% surcharge on vehicle import duty, brought in last May to slow dollar outflows, has already been extended once and is now due to expire on 31 December 2026. Anyone who had a Letter of Credit open before the surcharge started only keeps the old exemption if the vehicle was shipped on board by 15 November, so even "safe" orders are getting squeezed by the clock. Some buyers and importers say the surcharge has done its job, financing is already tighter after the LTV cut, and registrations have been falling for months, so it's time to let it lapse and get volumes moving again. Others think the government will extend it again, because reserves and the rupee matter more to them than showroom traffic, and a sudden lapse could trigger a rush of orders that undoes the whole point of the policy. Are you holding off a purchase to see what happens after 31 December, or did you already lock in a deal under the current rates? සත්‍ය කතාව මොකක්ද?