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Here's why government may have banned import of cigarette lighters under 20

Jun 30, 2023 08:08 AM IST

Inbound shipments of pocket lighters, gas fuelled, non-refillable stood at USD 0.66 million in 2022-23.

Imports of cigarette lighters costing below 20, which was free until Thursday, has now been banned by the government. However, import shall be free if CIF value (cost, insurance, and freight) is 20 or above per lighter, the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

The ban extends to pocket lighters, gas fuelled, non-refillable or refillable. (Representative)
The ban extends to pocket lighters, gas fuelled, non-refillable or refillable. (Representative)

The ban extends to pocket lighters, gas fuelled, non-refillable or refillable.

Read: OTT shows told to put anti-tobacco warning; makers ask for data to prove the impact

Inbound shipments of pocket lighters, gas fuelled, non-refillable stood at USD 0.66 million in 2022-23. It was USD 0.13 million in April this fiscal.

On the other hand, pocket lighters, gas fuelled, and refillable, stood at USD 8.87 million in 2022-23 compared to USD 7 million in 2021-22. It was USD 0.96 million in April of this fiscal.

Stalin's appeal

In September 2022, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote a letter to the Centre seeking a ban on single-use plastic cigarette lighters to save the matchbox industry, which is a major source of employment in the southern part of the state. This traditional industry provides a livelihood to over a lakh people of which the majority are women.

"The industry is a vital engine of economic growth in a region that is arid for agriculture. You will be already aware that the matchbox industry earns foreign exchange revenue of around 400 crore through exports," the CM noted in a letter addressed to union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal.

On Thursday, Stalin thanked Goyal in a tweet following the announcement of the prohibition, “This decision is a significant step towards protecting the livelihoods of over a lakh people in Tamil Nadu's matchbox industry.”

Facing stiff competition from Pakistan and Indonesia in the export markets, supply chain disruptions following the COVID pandemic, and spike in input costs have led to price and logistic hurdles in exporting, Stalin explained.

The domestic market is also waning due to the Chinese single use plastic cigarette lighters, which are available for 10 and can substitute 20 matchboxes. These non-refillable lighters also result in immense plastic waste, with adverse impacts on the environment and health, he added.

Read: 240 tonnes of plastic dumped in Delhi everyday: Report

The lighters are being illegally imported from China as 'empty lighter cases' using manipulated invoices to bypass the restrictions governing inflammable substances and trick the customs, The New Indian Express reported quoting Kathiravan, secretary of Tamil Nadu Match Manufacturers Association.

The Andaman and Nicobar authorities had imposed a complete ban on its usage, in lieu of its environmental effects through a gazette notification in 2019.

Notably, in the 2022 ban on 30 single-use plastic items by the government, cigarette packets were also included in the list.

(With inputs from PTI)

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