Bamboo Sticks and Import Curbs

How India relied on imported bamboo sticks from China and Vietnam for agarbatti, and how 2019-20 import restrictions and a National Bamboo Mission push aimed to revive local supply.

Agarbatti needs thin bamboo sticks.

Imports

India imported most raw sticks and raw agarbatti from China and Vietnam.

Curbs

In 2019, India restricted imports of raw agarbatti.
In 2020, it raised duties on round bamboo sticks.

Goal

Revive local bamboo stick making and create rural jobs.

Bamboo law

In 2017, bamboo grown outside forests was removed from the definition of “tree”, easing its harvest and sale.

KVIC scheme

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission gave machines to rural workers to make sticks.

Results

Local production rose, especially in the Northeast and Tripura.

The Tripura stick maker

A family in Tripura uses a KVIC machine to make bamboo sticks sold to Karnataka agarbatti makers.

Thinking agarbatti inputs are all Indian

Many sticks were imported.

Key takeaways

India imported bamboo sticks.
Import curbs came in 2019-20.
Bamboo was freed from tree rules in 2017.
Local stick production rose.