Lok Sabha Question No. 575 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-01
Subject: Import of Tea
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Pritam Gopinath Munde, Girish Bhalchandra Bapat, Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Rahul Ramesh Shewale

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 575 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01 st  DECEMBER, 2021

## IMPORT OF TEA

## 575.   DR. PRITAM GOPINATHRAO MUNDE:

SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU:

SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE:

SHRI GIRISH BHALCHANDRA BAPAT:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वािण᭔य एवं उ᳒ोग मंᮢी ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  there  have  been  cases  where  substandard  tea  are  being  imported  and distributed in India;
- (b) if so, the details of various such cases reported during each of the last three years;
- (c) the details of tea import of the country during each of the last three years along with the names of the countries from where such tea is coming;
- (d) the details of the action taken by the Government against the persons involved in such export;
- (e) whether the Union Government has issued any guidelines, directions to check such illegal import and protect Indian tea manufacturers; and
- (f) if so, the details in this regard?

## ANSWER

okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h ¼Jherh vuqfiz;k iVsy½

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

- (a) & (b) : Six cases were detected by the Tea Board where the imported teas were found  to be non-compliant with the FSSAI-specified parameters. The Tea Board seized and destroyed the teas. The details of such cases during each of the last three years are given below:
- (c)  :  The  details  of  country-wise  import  of  tea  during  the  last  three  years  are  given at Annexure.
- (d) to (f) : The Tea Board has issued instructions on 11.11.2021 directing  all importers and buyers of tea to ensure that origin of imported tea to be mentioned in all their sale invoices and not to pass off imported tea as teas of Indian origin. All distributors and blenders of tea have been directed that the label should clearly indicate on the packaging that the contents of the blended Tea are imported, giving the source of origin of Imported tea irrespective of whether  the  imported  tea  has  been  bought  directly  or  through  an  intermediary.  All importers importing teas into India for distribution in India shall inform about the place of storage of such imported tea to the nearest Tea Board Office within 24 hours of entry of such teas into India. The tea buyers have been directed not to blend imported tea with teas of Darjeeling/Kangra/Assam (Orthodox)/Nilgiri (Orthothodox).

| Year   | Number Cases   | of Quantity of imported (Kg.) seized   | tea Name of country from which teas were imported   |
|--------|----------------|----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| 2018   | 3              | 1,970                                  | Nepal                                               |
| 2019   | 3              | 3,600                                  | Nepal                                               |
| 2020   | Nil            | Nil                                    | --                                                  |
| Total  | 6              | 5,570                                  |                                                     |

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and field formations of Customs are enforcing the provisions related to rule of origin, Sanitary and Phytosanitary certificates issued by appropriate authorities  at point of entry.

## Annexure

COUNTRY WISE IMPORT OF TEA DURING LAST 3 YEARS (in Million Kgs.)

| Country        | 2018-19   | 2019-20   | 2020-21   |
|----------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| ARGENTINA      | 0.93      | 1.57      | 0.77      |
| CHINA          | 0.37      | 0.31      | 0.53      |
| GERMANY        | 0.03      | 0.03      | 0.09      |
| INDONESIA      | 0.07      | 0.60      | 1.30      |
| IRAN           | 0.76      | 0.02      | 0.06      |
| JAPAN          | 0.01      | -         | -         |
| KENYA          | 1.74      | 3.06      | 9.50      |
| MALAWI         | 0.36      | 0.47      | 0.24      |
| MALAYSIA       | 0.05      | 0.04      | 0.00      |
| MOZAMBIQUE     | 0.00      | 0.04      | 0.55      |
| MYANMAR        | 0.00      | 0.02      | 0.02      |
| NEPAL          | 16.05     | 7.29      | 10.74     |
| RWANDA         | -         | -         | 0.08      |
| SINGAPORE      | 1.38      | -         | -         |
| SOUTH AFRICA   | -         | -         | 0.04      |
| SRI LANKA      | 0.16      | 0.45      | 0.39      |
| TAIWAN         | 0.02      | 0.02      | -         |
| TANZANIA       | 0.32      | 0.32      | 0.33      |
| TURKEY         | -         | 0.12      | 0.02      |
| U.A.E          | 0.00      | 0.03      | 0.07      |
| U.S.A          | 0.43      | 0.02      | 0.19      |
| UGANDA         | -         | -         | 0.05      |
| UNITED KINGDOM | 0.71      | 0.22      | 0.33      |
| VIETNAM        | 0.25      | 0.86      | 2.22      |
| ZIMBABWE       | 0.58      | 0.05      | 0.18      |
| AUSTRALIA      | -         | -         | 0.05      |
| TOTAL          | 24.22     | 15.54     | 27.75     |