Lok Sabha Question No. 3627 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-03-17
Subject: Natural Rubber
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Tokheho Yepthomi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

## (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3627 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 th MARCH, 2021

## NATURAL RUBBER

## 3627.  SHRI TOKHEHO YEPTHOMI:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वािण�य एवं उ�ोग मं�ी ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is importing natural rubber from other countries;
- (b) if so, the details and quantity per annum from 2015-2016 to 2020-2021;
- (c) whether excise duty is being exempted on import of natural rubber; and
- (d) if so, the reason thereof?

## ANSWER

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THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI HARDEEP SINGH PURI)

(a)  &  (b):  Government  is  not  importing  natural  rubber  from  other  countries.  However,  rubber  product manufacturers and traders are importing natural rubber from other countries.  The details of country-wise import of natural rubber from 2015-16 to 2020-21 is as under:

(In Tonne)

| Country               |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |   2018-19 |   2019-20(P) |   2020-21 (Apr-Dec)(P) |
|-----------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|--------------|------------------------|
| Bangladesh Bangladesh |      6049 |      4091 |      3232 |      3221 |         5558 |                   1164 |
| Cambodia              |      3717 |      4937 |      9629 |      2689 |         2628 |                    897 |
| Cote d'Ivoire         |     10362 |     19696 |     19112 |     34594 |        27056 |                  32479 |
| Indonesia             |    212293 |    224408 |    274615 |    245763 |       165007 |                 119229 |
| Malaysia              |     16880 |     11450 |      5245 |     62259 |        39068 |                  24098 |

| Country     | 2015-16   | 2016-17   | 2017-18   |   2018-19 |   2019-20(P) |   2020-21 (Apr-Dec)(P) |
|-------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-----------|--------------|------------------------|
| Nigeria     | 968       | 1916      | 1915      |       504 |          907 |                    323 |
| Philippines | 2903      | 1251      | -         |      1313 |         1111 |                    907 |
| Sri Lanka   | 353       | 958       | 1199      |      1264 |         1201 |                    268 |
| Thailand    | 112006    | 79506     | 86336     |     57292 |        30822 |                  19094 |
| Vietnam     | 89914     | 76288     | 63338     |    114433 |       123127 |                  49046 |
| Singapore   | -         | -         | -         |     52656 |        48389 |                  28901 |
| Myanmar     | -         | -         | -         |      4194 |         8229 |                   5171 |
| Others      | 2929      | 1687      | 5139      |      2169 |         4120 |                   8689 |
| Total       | 458374    | 426188    | 469760    |    582351 |       457223 |                 290266 |

Source: Rubber Board

(P)

: Provisional

(c) & (d): A duty of excise (cess) was levied on natural rubber produced in India from the manufacturers under Section 12 of the Rubber Act, 1947.  This provision was repealed as per Taxation Laws (Amendment) Act,  2017  on  implementation  of  GST  with  effect  from  01.07.2017.   Countervailing  duty  equivalent  to amount of cess used to be levied till 01.07.2017 on imported rubber.  Presently, natural rubber attracts IGST @5%.  This is levied on imported natural rubber also.

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