Question : Import of Tea

(a) whether there have been cases where substandard tea are being imported and distributed in India;
(b) if so, the details of various such cases reported during each of the last three years;
(c) the details of tea import of the country during each of the last three years along with the names of the countries from where such tea is coming;
(d) the details of the action taken by the Government against the persons involved in such export;
(e) whether the Union Government has issued any guidelines, directions to check such illegal import and protect Indian tea manufacturers; and
(f) if so, the details in this regard?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a) & (b) : Six cases were detected by the Tea Board where the imported teas were found to be non-compliant with the FSSAI-specified parameters. The Tea Board seized and destroyed the teas. The details of such cases during each of the last three years are given below:
Year Number of Cases Quantity of imported tea (Kg.) seized Name of country from which teas were imported
2018 3 1,970 Nepal
2019 3 3,600 Nepal
2020 Nil Nil --
Total 6 5,570




(c) : The details of country-wise import of tea during the last three years are given at Annexure.
(d) to (f) : The Tea Board has issued instructions on 11.11.2021 directing all importers and buyers of tea to ensure that origin of imported tea to be mentioned in all their sale invoices and not to pass off imported tea as teas of Indian origin. All distributors and blenders of tea have been directed that the label should clearly indicate on the packaging that the contents of the blended Tea are imported, giving the source of origin of Imported tea irrespective of whether the imported tea has been bought directly or through an intermediary. All importers importing teas into India for distribution in India shall inform about the place of storage of such imported tea to the nearest Tea Board Office within 24 hours of entry of such teas into India. The tea buyers have been directed not to blend imported tea with teas of Darjeeling/Kangra/Assam (Orthodox)/Nilgiri (Orthothodox).
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and field formations of Customs are enforcing the provisions related to rule of origin, Sanitary and Phytosanitary certificates issued by appropriate authorities at point of entry.

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Annexure
COUNTRY WISE IMPORT OF TEA DURING LAST 3 YEARS
(in Million Kgs.)
Country 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21
ARGENTINA 0.93 1.57 0.77
CHINA 0.37 0.31 0.53
GERMANY 0.03 0.03 0.09
INDONESIA 0.07 0.60 1.30
IRAN 0.76 0.02 0.06
JAPAN 0.01 - -
KENYA 1.74 3.06 9.50
MALAWI 0.36 0.47 0.24
MALAYSIA 0.05 0.04 0.00
MOZAMBIQUE 0.00 0.04 0.55
MYANMAR 0.00 0.02 0.02
NEPAL 16.05 7.29 10.74
RWANDA - - 0.08
SINGAPORE 1.38 - -
SOUTH AFRICA - - 0.04
SRI LANKA 0.16 0.45 0.39
TAIWAN 0.02 0.02 -
TANZANIA 0.32 0.32 0.33
TURKEY - 0.12 0.02
U.A.E 0.00 0.03 0.07
U.S.A 0.43 0.02 0.19
UGANDA - - 0.05
UNITED KINGDOM 0.71 0.22 0.33
VIETNAM 0.25 0.86 2.22
ZIMBABWE 0.58 0.05 0.18
AUSTRALIA - - 0.05
TOTAL 24.22 15.54 27.75