SHEFEXIL

SHEFEXIL (Shellac and Forest Products Export Promotion Council) is an organization established by the Government of India under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in 1957 as SEPC (Shellac Export Promotion Council) to promote and increase the export of shellac and lac-based products from India. Later, in recognition of its expanded focus to include other forest-based products, the council was renamed as SHEFEXIL in 1984. ⁽¹⁾

In April 2005, the SEPC (Shellac Export Promotion Council) part of SHEFEXIL was extended as a Nodal Export Promotion Council for India's Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. This extension allowed SHEFEXIL to promote the export of various non-timber forest produce such as medicinal plants, gums, resins, herbs, and essential oils,nutraceuticals from India, in addition to shellac and lac-based products.⁽²⁾

Objectives of SHEFEXIL ^{( 3)}

The primary objectives of SHEFEXIL (Shellac and Forest Products Export Promotion Council) are:

• To promote and increase exports of shellac and forest-based products from India by providing various support services such as market intelligence, promotional activities, and quality control measures to help exporters compete in the global market.
• To encourage the development of new markets and promote the use of shellac and forest-based products in existing and new applications.
• To develop and maintain international standards for shellac and forest-based products to ensure their quality and reliability in the global market.
• To facilitate the transfer of technology and provide training to Indian exporters to enhance their competitiveness in the global market.
• To assist Indian exporters in resolving trade-related issues and disputes.
  
  

Product groups  ⁽⁴⁾

SHEFEXIL (Shellac & Forest Products Export Promotion Council) promotes the export of various products falling under the shellac and forest products categories. The major product groups promoted by SHEFEXIL include:

New initiatives :

The Shellac and Forest Products Export Promotion Council (SHEFEXIL) previously focused on the exports of shellac and lac-based products exclusively. However, the Council has since expanded its product portfolio to include other Non Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) and their value-added products, which has not only complemented their existing product range but also significantly increased their size, responsibilities, and operation levels. During the fiscal year 2021-22, SHEFEXIL's exports of shellac and forest products amounted to USD 2779.66 million, indicating a significant contribution to India's export earnings. This expansion into other NTFPs highlights the growing demand for sustainable forest-based livelihoods and demonstrates the potential for economic growth through the responsible utilization of forest resources.

Nutraceutical products under the jurisdiction of the Shellac & Forest Products Export Promotion Council (SHEFEXIL)

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in India has included nutraceutical products under the jurisdiction of the Shellac & Forest Products Export Promotion Council (SHEFEXIL) in Appendix 2T of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-2020. This decision has been welcomed by the Indian nutraceutical industry, which sees it as a significant development that will provide much-needed support for the export of their products. As per the FTP 2015-2020, SHEFEXIL is responsible for promoting the export of shellac and forest products. With this inclusion, nutraceutical products such as dietary supplements, functional foods, and beverages, will also fall under the purview of SHEFEXIL's export promotion support. SHEFEXIL's support could include organizing trade fairs, undertaking market research, and providing financial assistance to businesses involved in the export of nutraceutical products.

Export performance

During the fiscal year 2021-22, the exports of SHEFEXIL amounted to USD 2779.66 million, indicating a significant contribution to India's export earnings. In the previous fiscal year 2020-21, SHEFEXIL's exports amounted to USD 2475.27 million, and during the fiscal year 2019-20, the exports amounted to USD 2558.14 million. It's important to note that global trade was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic during this period, which could have impacted the export performance of SHEFEXIL.

Regulations and standards

 The Shellac and Forest Products Export Promotion Council (SHEFEXIL) is a government agency in India responsible for promoting the export of forest-based products. As such, SHEFEXIL adheres to various regulations and standards related to the production and export of these products. Here are some examples:

Testing methods

As a government agency responsible for promoting the export of forest-based products, SHEFEXIL conducts testing and inspection of the products to ensure that they meet international quality standards. SHEFEXIL has established testing and inspection procedures to ensure that the products meet various quality parameters, including:

Shellac: The testing methods for shellac may include determination of viscosity, acid value, ester value, moisture content, insoluble matter, and color.

Vegetable Saps and Extracts: The testing methods for vegetable saps and extracts may include determination of moisture content, ash content, acid-insoluble ash, volatile oil content, alcohol-soluble extractive, and water-soluble extractive.

Guar Gum: The testing methods for guar gum may include determination of viscosity, moisture content, protein content, ash content, pH value, and particle size.

Sesame Seeds: The testing methods for sesame seeds may include determination of moisture content, oil content, acid value, peroxide value, aflatoxin contamination, and microbiological tests.

Herbs: The testing methods for herbs may include determination of moisture content, ash value, extractive value, acid-insoluble ash, heavy metals, pesticide residue, and microbiological tests.

Fixed Vegetable Oil: The testing methods for fixed vegetable oil may include determination of acid value, saponification value, iodine value, unsaponifiable matter, and refractive index.

Nutraceuticals:  The testing methods for nutraceuticals may include determination of active ingredients, purity, identity, strength, and composition. For example, if SHEFEXIL is exporting a nutraceutical product containing a specific herb or plant extract, they may test for the presence and concentration of the active ingredients, microbial testing, heavy metal and pesticide residue testing and also acute and chronic toxicity tests, genotoxicity tests, and reproductive toxicity tests in the product to ensure to the product's safety before it is marketed to consumers.

Eurofins role

SHEFEXIL mandates third-party sampling and testing of various forest products, including shellac, vegetable saps and extracts, guar gum, sesame seeds, herbs, niger seeds, other vegetable materials, fixed vegetable oil, cakes, nutaceuticals etc., if these products are intended for export.

This mandate ensures that the exported products meet the quality standards and specifications set by SHEFEXIL, which helps to promote and maintain the reputation of Indian forest products in the international market. As a recognized laboratory testing company, Eurofins can now provide the necessary testing services to clients involved in exporting these products, which can help them ensure compliance with SHEFEXIL's regulations and enhance their export capabilities.

References

1. https://www.shefexil.org/about.php
2. https://www.commerce.gov.in/writereaddata/trade_sector/export_promotion/epc_sepc_19072017.pdf
3. https://www.shefexil.org/upload/Annual-Report-2021-22.pdf
4. SHEFEXIL - Shellac & Forest Products Export Promotion Council". SHEFEXIL. Retrieved March 18, 2023, from https://www.shefexil.org/
5. https://www.indiafilings.com/learn/export-quality-control-and-inspection-act/
6. https://www.shefexil.org/pdf/procedure.pdf
7. https://bis.gov.in/product/IS/IS11608-1986
8. https://www.a2ztaxcorp.com/dgft-includes-nutraceutical-products-in-the-jurisdiction-of-the-shellac-forest-products-export-promotion-council-in-appendix-2t-of-ftp/

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