AP Chambers seeks a ban on export of raw human hair

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (AP Chambers) has submitted a detailed representation to Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu urging his personal intervention to stop the export of raw human hair, especially non-Remy (comb waste/GAoli/Chutti) hair, to safeguard the domestic human hair industry.

In the representation, AP Chambers’ president Potluri Bhaskara Rao and general secretary B Rajasekhar highlighted that in the last 20 years, the demand for Non-Remy Hair had gone up exponentially and Chinese buyers were buying huge quantities till 2012-13 from Indian exporters. But in the last 10 years, China has started reducing legal imports by smuggling Non-Remy (Comb Waste Hair) through Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Nepal where it is processed with child labour and again smuggled to China across border to avoid duties.

Despite an earlier ban imposed in March 2022 by DGFT, exports resumed shortly after, including by previously blacklisted traders. Non-Remy Hair forms 85 percent of total exports and only 15 percent of hair is Remy Hair, sourced from temples, which is sold in auction/direct sales by temples. They pointed out that the Indian Human Hair Extension and Wig industry, currently valued at Rs 8,000 crore, has the potential to grow to Rs 30,000 crore in the next decade. The industry, which has a major presence in Madepalli and Eluru, provides employment to over 10 lakh women across rural India.

AP Chambers also made key suggestions including the export of raw human hair having ITC (HS) Code 05010010 should be strictly prohibited to make it available for Indian hair processors for value-addition, Remy-type hair from temples should not be sold to China or Chinese agents, restrict temple hair auctions only to registered manufacturers/exporters and not to illegal trader to support ‘Make it India’ initiative of the Union government, establishment of a dedicated research chair for human hair at IIT Chennai to foster R & D, reduction of duties on human hair imported by countries wherever India has any bilateral agreements, incentives or subsidies to hair exported to African countries as they are the biggest consumers of hair and wigs as they will help boost the exports to African countries.

Bhaskara Rao emphasised that this is a unique industry that transforms waste into valuable foreign exchange while empowering lakhs of women through rural employment. He requested the Chief Minister to take up the matter with the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal to ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of the human hair industry in Andhra Pradesh and India.