The Cashew Export Promotion Council of India (CEPCI) has raised extreme concerns over growing unlawful import of cashew kernels, announcing this has hit the crisis-ridden domestic industry.

CEPCI mentioned that big scale imports of low-nice, simple cashew kernels from competing international locations which include Vietnam, Mozambique and Ivory Coast have brought about closure of numerous cashew factories that gives gainful employment to extra than 10 lakh people, majority of them are girls.

According to R.K.Bhoodes, Chairman, CEPCI, undeniable cashew kernels that falls below chapter 8 of the customs tariff is levied a basic customs responsibility of 45 according to cent. Also, the minimal import fees of ₹288/kg for broken grades and ₹400/kg for whole cashew are fixed and forty five in step with cent of the equal is levied as the basic customs duty for imports .

However, roasted cashew kernels and in addition value-delivered cashew products which comes under bankruptcy 20 of the customs tariff underneath numerous Free Trade Agreements have been completely exempted from charge of primary customs duty. Misusing these provisions, he pointed out, numerous importers deliver big volumes of plain cashew kernels (normally brokens), which might be inferior in nice vis-a-vis Indian products. Since those international locations do no longer have a home market, they sell it in the Indian market at throw-away costs.

As such low-satisfactory and lower priced broken kernels are dumped in the domestic marketplace evading customs obligation, genuine processors are locating problems in selling their merchandise. This has no longer most effective impacted prices in the home marketplace but making domestic processing unviable as properly.

Further, re-exporting of low-nice entire kernels of different nations with Indian label has tarnished the emblem of Indian kernels. Exports of imported unpeeled cashew kernels can also avail of 5 in step with cent export incentive as relevant to fully processed cashew in India. “This is a massive blow to the efforts of the CEPCI to sell Indian cashew as a emblem,” Bhoodes stated.

CEPCI also demanded that the import of cashew kernels (such as the 12 classes of mis-declarations) must be situation to a hundred in step with cent inspection by way of the Customs for sampling and testing. Fraudulent importers should be blacklisted and Cofeposa need to be invoked towards repeated importers.