In an effort to maintain quality and retain the brand equity of Indian teas, the Government has issued a new Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 2005 under the provisions of the Tea Act, 1953 in supersession of the Tea (Distribution and Export) Control Order, 1957. The new Order contains a number of important provisions. It stipulates that all tea consignments meant either for imports or exports would have to undergo a certification procedure whereby the quality of tea and the country of its origin would be determined and displayed. All teas, whether imported or exported, would be required to conform to the specifications cited in the new Order.
The Tea Board would be the nodal agency of the certification exercise. The non-preferential Certificate of Origin in respect of each consignment of tea exports would be issued by the Tea Board or any of its designated agencies.
The new Order also prescribes a minimum value addition norm of 50% on export of imported tea and stipulates a time period of 6 months from the date of import for the export of imported tea.
Consequential changes have been made in the Handbook of Procedures under the Foreign Trade Policy and these have been notified by the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) separately.
Government of India has been considering various measures for enforcing suitable quality norms on tea imports and exports. The new Tea Order has consequently been issued coming into effect from 1st April, 2005 and the DGFT notification with effect from 2nd April, 2005.
SB/MRS
(Release ID :8373)