Lok Sabha Question No. 2291 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-01-01
Subject: Import-Export of Pepper
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: ANTO  ANTONY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2291 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01 st  JANUARY,2018

## IMPORT-EXPORT OF PEPPER

## 2291. SHRI ANTO ANTONY

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वा ͨणÏय एवं उɮयोग मंğी ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any statistics regarding the import and export of Pepper taking place in the country;
- (b) if so, the details of import and export of Pepper taken place during the last five years, yearwise and country-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has taken note of the report that import of pepper from Sri Lanka to India is higher than their production; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the response of the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lh- vkj- pkS/kjh½

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a)&(b):      The  major  country-wise  export  and  import  of  pepper  during  the  last  five  years  is  given at Annexure I and Annexure II respectively.

(c) &(d):  An analysis of the data regarding the production of pepper in Sri Lanka during the last three years and import of pepper into India from Sri Lanka during the same period shows that the import of pepper from Sri Lanka into India was much less than their production.

Representations  have  been  received  from  traders/growers  associations  of  pepper  in  the  country regarding alleged import of low quality pepper into India from Vietnam through Sri Lanka.  Since most of the  pepper  producing  countries  are  in  the  Association  of  Southeast  Asian  Nations  (ASEAN)  region,  the stakeholders  have  raised  apprehensions  of  routing  the  pepper  produced  in  ASEAN  countries  including Vietnam to India through Sri Lanka, by utilizing the provisions of India Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISLFTA) and Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).

In order to stop the possibility of inferior quality pepper of other countries entering into India through Sri Lanka to take duty advantage and to stabilize the domestic prices of pepper, Government has fixed the CIF value of Rs.500/- per kg as Minimum Import Price for Black Pepper vide DGFT Notification dated 6/12/2017.

Sri Lankan Authorities have been requested to exercise extreme care and diligence in issuing the Certificates of Origin under ISLFTA and SAFTA. Government of Sri Lanka has informed that Sri Lanka Customs along with Ministry of Primary Industries and National Quarantine Service have introduced a new procedure with the aim of preventing Sri Lankan exporters from obtaining SAFTA or ISLFTA Certificates of Origin issued by the Department for third-country black pepper shipments destined to India.

***

ANNEXURE-I

## MAJOR COUNTRY-WISE EXPORT OF PEPPER FROM INDIA (QTY IN M.T; VALUE IN RS.LAKHS)

|                 | 2012-13   | 2012-13   | 2013-14   | 2013-14   | 2014-15   | 2014-15   | 2015-16   | 2015-16   | 2016-17(EST)   | 2016-17(EST)   |
|-----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|----------------|----------------|
| Major Countries | QTY       | VALUE     | QTY       | VALUE     | QTY       | VALUE     | QTY       | VALUE     | QTY            | VALUE          |
| U.S.A           | 7177.77   | 29589.56  | 9557.13   | 42069.33  | 9683.99   | 54465.30  | 10740.47  | 65961.15  | 9700.00        | 58200.00       |
| U.K             | 1309.75   | 5658.19   | 1669.78   | 8049.28   | 2098.21   | 11765.76  | 2160.86   | 14904.33  | 1696.06        | 11303.41       |
| GERMANY         | 747.96    | 3358.90   | 1304.72   | 5987.74   | 1584.90   | 9468.09   | 2504.90   | 14456.83  | 898.49         | 7765.79        |
| SWEDEN          | 63.97     | 284.94    | 312.92    | 1399.89   | 880.62    | 6452.33   | 649.88    | 4748.80   | 930.83         | 8038.76        |
| JAPAN           | 727.74    | 3233.34   | 575.08    | 2767.76   | 617.98    | 4737.60   | 697.47    | 5086.22   | 734.08         | 6317.20        |
| NETHERLANDS     | 375.60    | 1905.13   | 1016.05   | 4555.56   | 1201.61   | 5952.47   | 1566.44   | 10027.14  | 475.83         | 4057.51        |
| U.A.E           | 399.60    | 1513.07   | 380.19    | 1550.37   | 180.70    | 936.90    | 663.31    | 3982.42   | 712.98         | 3993.64        |
| CANADA          | 538.72    | 2061.95   | 694.66    | 2801.97   | 458.11    | 2454.74   | 589.64    | 3677.50   | 318.97         | 2366.02        |
| AUSTRALIA       | 468.74    | 2027.61   | 394.96    | 2000.38   | 362.50    | 2236.15   | 480.91    | 3373.68   | 270.53         | 1720.08        |
| FRANCE          | 218.73    | 1062.57   | 410.94    | 2024.12   | 167.56    | 1412.17   | 430.97    | 3262.85   | 356.87         | 1946.25        |
| SPAIN           | 251.96    | 762.53    | 371.03    | 1294.68   | 305.72    | 1153.93   | 449.82    | 2204.10   | 216.21         | 1353.42        |
| TURKEY          | 76.20     | 272.58    | 139.40    | 674.00    | 46.00     | 243.04    | 251.40    | 1422.66   | 201.60         | 1456.40        |
| CHINA           | 28.70     | 134.12    | 15.76     | 86.98     | 92.77     | 643.56    | 157.25    | 1270.48   | 148.73         | 1195.39        |
| ITALY           | 406.03    | 1574.36   | 805.19    | 3381.67   | 263.69    | 1354.77   | 566.47    | 3373.15   | 190.39         | 988.74         |
| POLAND          | 188.45    | 427.34    | 208.46    | 800.02    | 482.86    | 1276.36   | 580.78    | 2853.38   | 289.46         | 979.48         |
| RUSSIA          | 38.50     | 233.26    | 106.66    | 488.07    | 306.61    | 1566.74   | 153.33    | 1054.13   | 110.75         | 641.56         |
| SOUTH AFRICA    | 389.65    | 1666.90   | 272.69    | 1173.49   | 241.09    | 1421.06   | 204.69    | 1238.77   | 97.47          | 551.92         |
| IRAN            | 188.83    | 872.26    | 272.00    | 1295.08   | 142.55    | 942.26    | 601.96    | 3507.89   | 94.95          | 534.91         |
| VIETNAM         | 200.59    | 810.48    | 431.01    | 1715.20   | 321.44    | 1477.29   | 1859.73   | 10275.95  | 93.43          | 524.65         |
| Others          | 1565.47   | 6361.19   | 2311.37   | 9886.74   | 2011.09   | 10881.64  | 2789.75   | 16360.06  | 62.37          | 377.37         |
| TOTAL           | 15362.96  | 63810.28  | 21250.00  | 94002.34  | 21450.00  | 120842.16 | 28100.00  | 173041.50 | 17600.00       | 114312.50      |

(Est): Estimate

Source : DGCI&S Kolkata/Exporters' Returns/DLE from Customs

ANNEXURE-II

## COUNTRY-WISE IMPORT OF PEPPER INTO INDIA

|            | 2012-13   | 2012-13     | 2013-14   | 2013-14     | 2014-15   | 2014-15     | 2015-16   | 2015-16     | 2016-17(EST)   | 2016-17(EST)   |
|------------|-----------|-------------|-----------|-------------|-----------|-------------|-----------|-------------|----------------|----------------|
| COUNTRY    | QTY       | VALUE       | QTY       | VALUE       | QTY       | VALUE       | QTY       | VALUE       | QTY            | VALUE          |
|            | (MT)      | (Rs. LAKHS) | (MT)      | (Rs. LAKHS) | (MT)      | (Rs. LAKHS) | (MT)      | (Rs. LAKHS) | (MT)           | (Rs. LAKHS)    |
| SRILANKA   | 6638      | 25150       | 8075      | 30770       | 5562      | 34727       | 8000      | 50000       | 4900           | 32830          |
| VIETNAM    | 4130      | 14904       | 4602      | 18138       | 10845     | 52033       | 6780      | 40420       | 9500           | 47785          |
| INDONESIA  | 4678      | 16267       | 2235      | 8794        | 3042      | 16057       | 3910      | 21960       | 5000           | 26000          |
| BRAZIL     | -         | -           | 125       | 575         | 825       | 4509        | 325       | 2060        | 500            | 2950           |
| OTHERS     | 154       | 624         | 643       | 3342.84     | 1026.2    | 3383.8682   | 350       | 1856.43     | 365            | 2025.58        |
| ITEM TOTAL | 15600     | 56945       | 15680     | 61620       | 21300     | 110710      | 19365     | 116296      | 20265          | 111591         |

Est) Estimate

Source : DGCI&S Kolkata/DLI from Customs

****