AP Chambers seeks policy intervention to protect human hair industry
In Short
Bhaskara Rao said unchecked exports of raw material were resulting in loss of domestic value addition, manufacturing opportunities and employment.
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Potluri Bhaskara Rao
Vijayawada: AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (AP Chambers) president Potluri Bhaskara Rao has urged the Centre to take immediate policy measures to address the challenges confronting India’s human hair processing and manufacturing industry.
In a representation submitted to Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Bhaskara Rao here on Saturday said the sector had been under severe stress for the past seven to eight years due to the continued export of raw human hair, particularly Non-Remy, comb waste, chutti and goli hair covered under ITC HS Code 05010010, without adequate regulatory safeguards. He said the industry was facing an acute shortage of quality raw material and a sharp rise in input costs. Concerns over undervaluation, misdeclaration and possible illegal cross-border movement of raw human hair had further aggravated the situation.
The existing minimum export price of around US$65 per kg, or approximately Rs 6,000, was significantly lower than the prevailing domestic market price of Rs 13,000 Rs 15,000 per kg, creating scope for under-invoicing and non-transparent trade practices, the Chambers said.
Bhaskara Rao said unchecked exports of raw material were resulting in loss of domestic value addition, manufacturing opportunities and employment. Andhra Pradesh, with key industry clusters at Madepalli and Eluru, supports nearly 50,000 livelihoods directly dependent on the sector.
