Government imposes import curbs on parts of pocket lighters; to reduce dependence on China

New Delhi: The government on Sunday 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 Rs 40 crore ($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 Rs 8,55,559 crore ($101.73 billion) in 2023-24 from Rs 82,83,94,85,00,000 crore ($98.5 billion) in 2022-23. Exports to the neighbouring country, though, have increased at a slower pace and aggregated at Rs 1,40,028 crore ($16.65 billion) in the previous fiscal as against Rs 1,28,674 crore ($15.3 billion) in 2022-23.

India's trade deficit with China has been increasing since 2020-21 when it was Rs 3,70,044 crore ($44 billion). It was Rs 7,14,858 crore ($85 billion) in 2023-24.