Posted on 05 Apr 2019
In a notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO), India has conveyed that it intends to include more steel and stainless steel products under its quality control order. Earlier attempts to do so had invited much protest from various member countries, especially from the EU region.
According to government sources, the move is necessary to ensure safety of infrastructure and health of the people. However, some WTO members consider it as non-tariff barrier to curb imports of these products.
The draft ‘Steel and Steel Products (Quality Control) Order, 2019’ by the Steel Ministry specifies that Stampings/laminations/cores of transformers, with or without winding, must be made only from BIS standard marked steel sheet and strip conforming to certain Indian Standard (IS) specifications. The other category of products that must be made from IS specific stainless steel products is stainless steel pipes and tubes. The draft order clearly states that it applies to domestic production as well as imports.
Currently, around 50 carbon steel products and 3 stainless steel products are covered in quality control orders.
The European Union has been objecting the BIS quality certification requirement, demanding that India should accept the tests carried out in foreign accredited laboratories. The EU considers the requirement for re-testing as a non-tariff barrier to trade, which must be eliminated at the earliest.
