India announces elimination of import tariffs on sanitary napkins

Release time:

2018-07-27

India announces elimination of import tariffs on sanitary napkins According to Xinhua News Agency, the Indian government announced on July 21 that it would no longer impose a 12% import tariff on sanitary napkins. Relevant people have been lobbying for more than a year to abolish the 12% tax on sanitary napkins. This tax exemption will remove barriers for imported feminine hygiene products to enter the Indian market and help more women spend their special days in school and the workplace.

India announces elimination of import tariffs on sanitary napkins

AccordingXinhua News Agency, the Indian government announced on July 21 that it would no longer impose a 12% import tariff on sanitary napkins. Relevant people have been lobbying for more than a year to abolish the 12% tax on sanitary napkins. This tax exemption will remove barriers for imported feminine hygiene products to enter the Indian market and help more women spend their special days in school and the workplace.

India's Acting Finance Minister Piyush Goyal attended a meeting of the Goods and Services Tax Committee in the capital New Delhi on the 21st and announced the cancellation of import tariffs on sanitary napkins at a press conference after the meeting. Previously, according to India's goods and services tax in July 2017, the import tax rate of sanitary napkins was 12%."I am sure that all mothers and sisters will be very happy to hear that sanitary napkins are now 100 per cent tax-free," Goyal said."

Some women's rights groups in India estimate that about 80% of women in India cannot use sanitary napkins during their menstrual period. Due to the lack of sanitary supplies and the lack of toilets in schools, many girls are unable to attend school during their menstrual period, which is one of the main factors for women to drop out of school.In rural India, some women lack hygiene knowledge because sanitary napkins are expensive and unaffordable and have to use old clothes or cloth strips, increasing the risk of infection and disease.

According to women's rights protection groups, the Indian government's cancellation of import tariffs on sanitary napkins will help more women afford menstrual hygiene products and remove a major obstacle for women to go to school and employment.

400000 petition calls for tariff relief

In order to reduce tariffs on sanitary napkins, the Indian people and a number of rights protection groups went around and launched a petition. They believe that sanitary napkins and condoms are also necessities of life, and tariffs should be zero. The government has set the import tax rate of sanitary napkins at 12%, which is equivalent to categorying sanitary napkins as luxury goods.Last year, congressman sushmita dev launched an online petition calling on the government to reduce tariffs on sanitary napkins, with more than 400000 signatures.

Archetypal figure, Aruna Chadam

Earlier this year, Bollywood's first menstrual hygiene-themed film, "Pad Man," was released, sparking heated debate. The film's leading actor, Akshea Kumar, joins a group promoting menstrual hygiene and advocates for more women to use sanitary napkins.The group's founder, Amar Tulsyan, said the news that the Indian government had lifted tariffs on sanitary napkins was "a huge victory for everyone". According to him, 82% of women in India do not have access to sanitary napkins, and the tax exemption is a "major benefit".

Sulbihi Singh, head of an Indian foundation aimed at increasing women's awareness of menstrual hygiene, said: "This is a much-anticipated and necessary measure to help women stay in school and work... This will help them grow and show their true potential."

Great opportunities for China's health industry

In 2014, the number of women aged 12-54 in India was 0.375 billion, and the market penetration rate of sanitary napkin products was only 24%. In fact, many women and rural women in India who have never used sanitary napkins have adopted sanitary napkin products quickly.

There is a big difference between India and China sanitary napkin market. Upper-class women in India want to use better high-quality sanitary napkin products, but in poor rural areas, many women have not had the opportunity to use sanitary napkins. The development of China's sanitary napkin market has been very mature, with a market penetration rate of 86.9 percent in 2015.

Through the major favorable policy of eliminating tariffs, more imported sanitary napkin products will quickly enter India and penetrate the Indian market at a lower price. China borders India and has geographical advantages, and the market pattern of sanitary napkins in China has been basically established. There are many big brands and enterprises, and the promotion cost of new brands to seize market share is getting higher and higher. Therefore, the Indian market will likely become a huge opportunity for new capacity.

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