To control imports of low-quality materials of natural rubber variants, the Rubber Board has proposed to charge a fee for issuing the required no objection certificate (NOC) to import natural rubber.

The proposal is under the consideration of the Union Government and the Board proposes to charge ₹5,000 for each consignment. It is pointed out that low-quality materials of NR variants are available at cheaper rates in the domestic market. The levying of fees for the issue of certificates will increase the efficiency of the procedure of quality checking. Ultimately, it is expected to improve the domestic market, Rubber Board officials said.

Move to curb shipments

In 2001, the Government lifted quantitative restrictions on natural rubber imports and introduced NOC from the Board as an import condition for conforming quality as specified by the Bureau of Indian Standards. The new recommendation of the Board to impose fees for NOCs for imported rubber is in continuation with the government’s attempts to restrict the import of low-quality NR variants.

At present, after checking the quality of natural rubber coming from other countries, the certificate is issued without charging a fee. In the meantime, many other agencies in the country issue certificates for importing non-rubber products by charging a fee.

In 2023-24, the country witnessed a significant increase in natural rubber imports, with a total of 4,92,682 tonnes. This surge in demand, which saw an estimated 3,10,413 tonnes imported from April to September alone, surpassing the 2,54,488 tonnes imported during the same period last year, underscores the importance of maintaining strict quality control measures, the officials said.

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