Lok Sabha Question No. 4242 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-07
Subject: Import of Raw Bamboo Sticks
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: RAJU ALIAS DEVAPPA ANNA SHETTI

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4242 TO BE ANSWERED ON  07 th  JANUARY, 2019

## IMPORT OF RAW BAMBOO STICKS

## 4242.  SHRI RAJU SHETTY:

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

- (a) whether  India  is  importing  raw  bamboo  sticks  for  Agarbatti  units  in  South  India from Vietnam and China at lower import duty; and
- (b) if  so,  the  reasons for not supporting such units in India and banning such imports which are hitting the local producers mostly the tribal and marginal farmers?

## 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) India's import of bamboo  and agarbatti (under HS 14011000 & 33074100 respectively) from Vietnam and China, for the last three financial years 2015-16 to 2017-18 and current financial year 2018-19 (up to October, 2018) is as annexed.
- (b) The restructured National Bamboo Mission approved by CCEA in April, 2018 focuses on the development of complete value chain of bamboo sector to link growers with consumers  starting  from  planting  material,  plantation,  creation  of  facilities  for collection,  aggregation,  processing  marketing,  micro,  small  &medium  enterprises, skill development and brand building initiative in a cluster approach mode. A major focus is to rejuvenate the domestic supply of quality raw material to the Agarbatti Industry  by  boosting  plantations  of  the  species  required,  installation  of  more efficient processing equipment and skilling of the associated communities. So far 88 Bamboo  Treatment Units, 464 Product Development/ Processing Units, 135 Infrastructure  Projects  for  Promotion  and  Development  of  Bamboo  Markets  have been approved in 16 States as per the Annual Action Plans received for 2018-19.

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Annexure

Import of Bamboo and Agarbatti (under HS 14011000 & 33074100 respectively) from Vietnam and China, for the last  three financial years 2015-16 to 2017-18 and current financial year 2018-19 (up to October, 2018)

| ITCHS                    | Item Descriptio n                                               | Country                  | Unit of Quan tity   | 2015-16   | 2015-16      | 2016-17   | 2016-17      | 2017-18   | 2017-18      | 2018-19 (up to October, 2018)   | 2018-19 (up to October, 2018)   |
|--------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|---------------------|-----------|--------------|-----------|--------------|-----------|--------------|---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| ITCHS                    | Item Descriptio n                                               | Country                  | Unit of Quan tity   | Quanti ty | Value in US$ | Quanti ty | Value in US$ | Quanti ty | Value in US$ | Quanti ty                       | Value in US$                    |
| 14011000                 | BAMBOO S                                                        | CHINA P RP               | TON                 | 9670      | 10492433     | 20191     | 23016358     | 26054     | 27541446     | 17479                           | 18144203                        |
| 14011000                 |                                                                 | VIETNA MSOC REP          | TON                 | 10647     | 12178745     | 7307      | 8756682      | 823       | 891093       | 332                             | 329261                          |
| Total Import of 14011000 | Total Import of 14011000                                        | Total Import of 14011000 | TON                 | 20437     | 22738842     | 27525     | 31805883     | 26910     | 28469597     | 17870                           | 18534608                        |
| 33074100                 | AGARBA TTI AND OTHR ODORIFE ROUS PRPNS WHICH OPERATE BY BURNING | CHINA P RP               | TON                 | 5385      | 6856997      | 7261      | 8217458      | 7499      | 8534706      | 3485                            | 3868131                         |
|                          |                                                                 | VIETNA MSOC REP          | TON                 | 81394     | 60122539     | 105553    | 65372008     | 93228     | 75508922     | 60159                           | 47478776                        |
| Total Import of 33074100 | Total Import of 33074100                                        | Total Import of 33074100 | TON                 | 86931     | 67202823     | 113156    | 74045787     | 101048    | 84952787     | 63776                           | 51551124                        |

Note: Figures for the financial year 2018-19 are provisional