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

New Delhi On Sunday, the government implemented restrictions on importing certain components of pocket lighters to promote local production and reduce reliance on imports from China, effective immediately. The directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) announced that the import of parts of pocket lighters, including non-refillable or refillable gas-fuelled lighters (cigarette lighters) is now restricted. The import of cigarette lighters costing below Rs 20 is already banned. The prohibition also applies to pocket lighters that are gas-fueled and either non-refillable or refillable. In the previous year, the government also introduced mandatory quality standards for lighters that produce flames in order to limit the influx of low-quality products from abroad and promote manufacturing within the country.

Products covered by Quality Control Orders (QCO) must have the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) mark in order to be manufactured, sold, traded, imported, or stored. Between April and July of this financial year, the import of smaller components amounted to USD 3.8 million. The amount was USD 4.86 million for the year 2023-24. Most of the components are brought in from China. Additional sources of lighter imports are Spain, Turkey, and the UAE.

In September 2022, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin, called on the government to prohibit the use of disposable plastic lighters to support the local matchbox sector. These plastic cigarette lighters, which come from countries like China through legal and illegal means, can be purchased for Rs 10 and can replace 20 matchboxes. He mentioned that these disposable lighters create a large amount of plastic waste, which harms the environment and affects health. The manufacture of matchboxes is a significant provider of jobs in the southern region of Tamil Nadu. India has implemented several actions to reduce imports from China, its second biggest trading partner following the US. In 2023-24, the value of goods imported from China by the country has risen to USD 101.73 billion.