Customs prohibits Red Sanders from being imported

The Dollar Business Bureau

Red Sanders wood, an endangered species of flora protected under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species(CITES) of Flora and Fauna, has been prohibited from being imported by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Earlier this wood was free to be brought into the country, but the government has through a notification specified that it has shifted imports of this wood from free to the prohibited category.

Red Sanders in India is found mainly in the Seshachalam hill ranges spread across the Rayalseema and Nellore regions of Andhra Pradesh. Possession or selling of this prized wood is considered to be illegal.

This wood has a huge demand in the markets of Japan and China as it is valued for its medicinal properties and used in traditional medicines and wood craft across Myanmar, China, Japan and other east Asian countries.

As per some reports, red sander wood is being sold at Rs.25 lakh per tonne in international market.