The Domestic Edible Oil Industry body, Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), has urged the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to ensure that specific forest-based products are included in the ongoing tariff relief negotiations under the proposed India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA), arguing that these products should not be classified as agricultural products.
In a detailed memorandum submitted to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, SEA has highlighted that forest products such as sal seeds, mango kernels, kokum, mowrah and shea are collected from forests by tribal communities and form the backbone of a vulnerable, livelihood-intensive sector. Since agriculture is proposed to be excluded from the FTA, SEA cautioned that forest produce may be inadvertently left out unless explicitly recognized as a separate category.
The memorandum, addressed to Darpan Jain, Joint Secretary and Chief Negotiator for the India-EU FTA, notes that India possesses significant untapped potential in tree-borne oilseeds like sal, mango kernel, kokum and dhupa. These resources, SEA said, are critical for value-added manufacturing in the chocolate, bakery and cosmetics industries.
SEA has sought the inclusion of specific Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) codes in the tariff relief framework. These include sal-based cocoa butter equivalents, sal stearin, mango butter, kokum butter, shea stearin, shea-based cocoa butter equivalents and palm mid fraction.
According to the association, Indian manufacturers are increasingly competing with European multinationals that source sheanuts from West Africa and dominate global supply chains. “Without tariff support, Indian companies risk losing market share as foreign buyers exploit delays and cost disadvantages,” the memorandum stated.
The association emphasized that tariff relief would help expand trade volumes, promote innovation, stabilize supply chains and enhance global competitiveness. More importantly, it would support employment for millions of tribal people engaged in forest produce collection while strengthening India’s “Make in India” value-added exports.
SEA, which represents over 700 members nationwide, argued that recognizing forest-based products separately from agriculture would ensure equitable benefits from the proposed FTA with the European Union, which is expected to be finalized soon.
Calling the issue one of national and social importance, SEA appealed to the government to include the identified forest products in the final trade agreement in the larger interest of tribal communities, industry and the country.