Import Curbs on Parts of Pocket Lighters with Immediate Effect

· Parts of Pocket Lighters, Gas Fuelled, Non-Refillable or Refillable Lighters (Cigarette Lighters) under HS Code 9613 90 00 Import Restricted

The government on Sunday (13.10.2024) imposed import curbs on parts of pocket lighters with immediate effect, a move which would help encourage domestic manufacturing and cut dependence on their inbound shipments from China.

"Import of parts of pocket lighters, gas fuelled, non-refillable or refillable lighters (cigarette lighters)... is restricted with immediate effect," the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

Imports of cigarette lighters, priced less than Rs 20, are already prohibited. The import ban is also there on pocket lighters, gas-fuelled, non-refillable or refillable.

Last year, the government also issued mandatory quality standard norms for flame-producing lighters with a view to contain import of sub-standard goods and boost domestic manufacturing.

Items under the quality control orders (QCO), cannot be produced, sold/traded, imported and stocked unless they bear the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) mark.

During April-July this fiscal, import of lighter parts stood at USD 3.8 million. It was USD 4.86 million in 2023-24. The parts are mainly imported from China.

Other sources of lighter imports include Spain, Turkey and the UAE.

In September 2022, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had urged the Centre to ban single use plastic cigarette lighters to help the domestic matchbox industry.

These plastic cigarette lighters, which are legally and illegally imported from countries like China, are available for Rs 10 and can substitute 20 matchboxes. Further, these non-refillable lighters result in immense plastic waste, damaging the environment and also impacting health, he had said.

The matchbox manufacturing industry is a major source of employment in the southern part of Tamil Nadu.

India has been taking a series of measures to cut imports from China, which is India's second largest trading partner after the US. The country's merchandise imports from China has increased to USD 101.73 billion in 2023-24 from USD 98.5 billion in 2022-23. Exports to the neighbouring country, though, have increased at a slower pace and aggregated at USD 16.65 billion in the previous fiscal as against USD 15.3 billion in 2022-23.

India's trade deficit with China has been increasing since 2020-21 when it was USD 44 billion. It was USD 85 billion in 2023-24.

[DGFT Notification No. 36/2024-25 dated 13 October, 2024]

Effect of the Notification: Import of Parts of pocket lighters, gas fuelled, non-refillable or refillable lighters (Cigarette lighters) under HS codes 96139000, is ‘Restricted’, with immediate effect.

Subject: Amendment in import policy of parts of lighter covered under CTH 9613 of Chapter 96 of Schedule – I (Import Policy) of ITC (HS) 2022.

S.O. (E): In exercise of powers conferred by Section 3 and Section 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992, read with paragraph 1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2023, as amended from time to time, the Central Government amends the import policy for the following HS Codes covered under Chapter 96 of the ITC(HS) 2022, Schedule-I (Import Policy) as under:

HS Codes	Item Description	Import Policy	Existing Policy Condition	Revised Policy Condition
96139000	-Parts	Free	-	However, import of Parts of pocket lighters, gas fuelled, non-refillable or refillable shall be ‘Restricted’

This is issued with the approval of the Competent Authority.

(Issued from File No. 01/93/180/Misc.39/AM-20/PC.II(B)/E-22950)