Sudan conflict impact felt on matchbox export units in TN

MADURAI: The internal armed conflict, which escalated into war between rival military factions in Sudan, during April, has made a slight impact on exports of matchboxes produced predominantly in Kovilpatti of Thoothukudi district and also in Sivakasi and Sattur of the neighbouring Virudhunagar district.

M Paramasivam, president, National Small Match Manufacturers Association, Kovilpatti said the war in Sudan recurred at regular intervals, and whenever the situation eased export trade resumed. Moreover, factors including labour shortage and usage of cigar lighters triggered a decline in production by 20 per cent.

According to R Gopalsamy, manufacturer cum exporter from Kovilpatti, on a monthly average about 20 containers of matchboxes would normally be shipped overseas to Port Sudan, which remains shut during conflicts, from Thoothukudi seaport. As a result, several shipping companies issued notices stating that all bookings for Port Sudan ‘cancelled’ since last month.

Once Pakistan, Indonesia, and Vietnam were major players in the export market of manufactured matchboxes, but now the production has come to a standstill in Pakistan as the country is reeling from currency devaluation.

“Capitalising on the situation, which boosts our ability to compete in international trade, buyers in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan have started importing from India,” Gopalsamy told DT Next.

Now, Soba Port in Sudan is open to foreign commerce. But shipping matchboxes from Thoothukudi to the Soba Port could is considered to be a tedious process.

Apart from matchboxes, food grains such as rice and foodstuff including pasta and value tomato products were exported in large volumes from Mumbai. Sources from the shipping industry in Thoothukudi said some years ago sugar was exported to Sudan, from where sulphur was imported as a fertilizer product.