Import of cigarette lighters under Rs 20 prohibited

The government of India has taken a measure to prohibit the import of cigarette lighters priced below Rs 20 per unit. The main objective behind this move is to discourage the inflow of such products from foreign sources.

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The Indian government has taken measure to limit the import of cigarette lighters in order to discourage their inbound shipments. As per the recent notification issued by the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT), the import policy for cigarette lighters has been changed from “free” to “prohibited” if their price per unit is less than Rs 20. However, the import remains unrestricted if the cost per lighter is Rs 20 or above on CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) basis.

CIF value, which stands for Cost, Insurance, and Freight, is a term commonly employed in international trade to calculate the comprehensive value of imported goods.

The ban applies to all types of pocket lighters, whether they are gas-fueled and non-refillable or refillable.

In the fiscal year 2022-23, imports of pocket lighters, which are gas-fueled and non-refillable, amounted to USD 0.66 million. For the month of April in the current fiscal year, the imports were recorded at USD 0.13 million.

In the fiscal year 2022-23, imports of gas-fueled and refillable pocket lighters reached USD 8.87 million, showing an increase from the previous fiscal year, where imports were recorded at USD 7 million in 2021-22. For the month of April in the current fiscal year, the inbound shipments of these lighters were registered at USD 0.96 million. These are imported mainly from Spain, Turkey and the UAE.