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India introduces stricter guidelines for the import of palm oil
New, stricter guidelines will apply to deliveries of palm oil to India from January. This was announced by the Director General for Foreign Trade (DGTF), who reports to the Ministry of Commerce. Imports of palm oil now require a licence or permit and the consent of the authorities. The import will then be allowed under certain conditions, according to a DGTF announcement. The new rules include, among other things, that importers must submit a purchase contract in advance and details of their imports in the past three years. The validity period for a licence or permit will be reduced from the usual 18 months to six months. If a dealer allows the licence to expire without importing, he will automatically be excluded from the issue of a new licence.
The customs authorities have been instructed to monitor in particular palm oil from the countries of origin Nepal and Bangladesh. The certificate of origin is a key document for countries with which India has concluded trade agreements. An importer must present a corresponding Certificate of Origin (CoO) to the customs authorities at the port of import. Palm oil and other vegetable oils and fats are mainly imported into India by sea. India is the world’s largest importer of vegetable oils and purchases 15 million tons of them annually. Palm oil accounts for the largest share of this, 9 million tonnes, followed by the remaining 6 million tonnes of soya and sunflower oil.
The main producers of palm oil are Indonesia with 43 million tons and Malaysia with 19 million tons annually. Last year, India changed the status of this important commodity from freely tradable to restricted. The background to this were statements by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahatir on India’s new citizenship law and the situation in the Kashmir region. Mahatir expressed concerns about discrimination against Muslim citizens in India. At a session of the UN General Assembly he also said that India had invaded and occupied Kashmir. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the largest of all certification bodies and is playing an increasing role in the standardisation of quality standards for raw materials and food. In this role it is responsible for a number of basic certifications in the Indian market. We would be pleased to assist you with BIS certification and are also available to answer your questions at any time.
If you need assistance with your BIS approval or have any questions, you can contact us any time. Call us directly: EU: +49-69-2713769261, UK:+44-2071931135, US: +1-773-654-2673 or send us an email.
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For more information regarding the BIS certification, please read our free information booklet “BIS Certification – The Booklet“.
For more information about the WPC Registration for wireless products, please click here.
Indian companies in the telecommunications sector demand a faster approval process from the WPC authority
Mobile phone providers as well as manufacturers of infrastructure and end-user devices are demanding intervention by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to speed up the process of equipment type approval (ETA). An improved process should simplify imports, distribution and the introduction of new models. There are currently no immediate shortages of equipment, but given the amount of equipment that will be needed over the next nine to 12 months to upgrade and repair networks and infrastructure, there could be supply difficulties as the equipment has not yet been approved by the Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) authority, a telecommunications industry spokesperson said.
The unclear release process by the WPC will affect imports to India and could lead to companies having to pay penalties to customs. Two lobby groups have called for mediation and conciliation from WPC leaders as no applications have been processed for a month, although the whole process is taking place online. “With the current situation through Covid-19, working from home and digitalisation is becoming increasingly important. Stopping the processing of applications to import equipment is a counterproductive measure in this regard,” the lobbying association said in its letter. The lobby association represents mobile phone providers such as Reliance, Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, as well as manufacturers Huawei, Nokia, Ericsson, Cisco and ZTE.
The WPC’s release and regulation department issued a statement saying that they work according to the guidelines of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and that an application is usually processed online and digitally released within a week. The online system for the certification and release process for imports of telecommunications equipment was introduced in September 2018 to make the process easier and faster for all parties involved. The WPC (Wireless Planning & Coordination) is the Indian National Broadcasting Authority and is part of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. However, in most cases, only equipment type approval (ETA) is relevant for foreign producers. The WPC certification process is relatively simple compared to other certification types. We will be happy to assist you with WPC registration and are also available to answer any questions you may have.
For a complete list of all relevant products, please click here.
If you need assistance with your WPC Certification or have any questions, you can contact us any time. Call us directly: EU: +49-69-2713769261, UK:+44-2071931135, US: +1-773-654-2673 Or send us an email.
Do you have any questions regarding certifications? If so, please do not hesitate to contact us via chat. You will find the chat window at the bottom right of each page (if this is not visible, please check your browser settings).
For more information regarding the WPC certification, please read our free information booklet “WPC Certification – The Booklet“.
For more information about the TEC Certification for telecommunication products, please click here.
New requirements for satellite receivers and set-top boxes to be expected
The Indian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRAI) recommends that all satellite receivers and set-top boxes for cable TV must be compatible with each other and requested the relevant ministry to issue a directive. Currently, set-top boxes for cable TV in particular are tied to a specific provider. If the customer wants to change the provider, he must buy or rent a new device. According to the recommendation of the TRAI, all set-top boxes in India should be interchangeable, a spokesperson said. The TRAI also calls for the mandatory installation of a USB port for all receivers and TV sets in India. The authority proposes the setting-up of a committee with representatives from the Ministry of Electronics and IT, the TRAI, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and television manufacturers. The committee is to revise and harmonise the current standards for set-top boxes for both satellite reception and cable TV.
The Ministry of Broadcasting (MIB) will also require a clause in the contracts of satellite or cable TV providers to ensure that they only offer compatible equipment or allow customers to use equipment they have purchased themselves from the open market. In cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the Ministry will issue appropriate guidelines for set-top boxes. Within six months, the Indian industry is expected to implement the “DVB CI+ 2.0 Standard” in line with the European ETSI standard. One of the new features is to provide all devices with a manufacturer and system independent USB-based connection, said the TRAI. In addition, manufacturers must from now on equip all new TV sets with receivers for both satellite and cable reception. The national broadcasting authority WPC (Wireless Planning & Coordination), which is part of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, is responsible for the approval of receivers in India. In most cases, only an equipment type approval (ETA) is relevant for foreign producers. The WPC certification is used synonymously with the ETA abroad. We would be pleased to support you with the WPC registration and are also at your disposal for any questions you may have.
For a complete list of all relevant products, please click here.
If you need assistance with your WPC Certification or have any questions, you can contact us any time. Call us directly: EU: +49-69-2713769261, UK:+44-2071931135, US: +1-773-654-2673 Or send us an email.
Do you have any questions regarding certifications? If so, please do not hesitate to contact us via chat. You will find the chat window at the bottom right of each page (if this is not visible, please check your browser settings).
For more information regarding the WPC certification, please read our free information booklet “WPC Certification – The Booklet“.
For more information about the TEC Certification for telecommunication products, please click here.
India to be under threat of a World Trade Organization (WTO) committee of inquiry
Taiwan requested the World Trade Organization (WTO) in September last year to set up a committee of inquiry into India’s import duties on IT goods such as mobile phones. In such a trade dispute, the parties involved have a duty to present their position to the WTO. If this does not happen, the plaintiff can ask the WTO to set up a committee of inquiry. According to information from the WTO, a conciliation meeting was held on 21 November 2019, but it failed.
Meanwhile, the European Union has initiated a similar procedure at the WTO against India. By imposing import duties on mobile phones, the EU accuses India of violating WTO guidelines that require India not to impose such duties. Several countries, including the EU, Singapore, Canada, China, Taiwan and Thailand, have joined the case on the grounds that India’s actions are restricting their trade interests. The European Union has also extended the scope of the complaint from mobile phones and their components to other products such as mobile transmitters, integrated circuits and optical instruments. In India, the Telecommunication Engineering Center (TEC) is the competent authority when it comes to TEC certification for telecommunications products. From 1991 to 2019, TEC certification was still possible as a voluntary product registration. Since 2019, however, a mandatory test certification of telecommunications equipment has been in force. We will be happy to support you with TEC accreditation and are also available to answer any questions you may have.
We will be happy to assist you with TEC accreditation and are also available to answer any questions you may have. Call us directly (+ 49-69-2713769261) or send us an E-mail.
Do you have any questions regarding certifications? If so, please do not hesitate to contact us via chat. You will find the chat window at the bottom right of each page (if this is not visible, please check your browser settings).
For further information on TEC certification, please read our free information package “TEC Certification – The Booklet“.
Information on the certification of vehicle components can be found here: AIS/TAC Certification.
India plans to extend certification scheme for chemical products such as phenol
India plans to further expand the certification requirements for certain chemicals and petrochemicals, such as phenol and melamine. So far, there are very few domestic producers of these chemicals and the country is heavily dependent on imports. The new regulation is intended not only to boost domestic production, but also to ensure the safety and quality of imported products into India. The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, responsible for these products, will publish a list of all affected products soon. The announcement has been expected, but seems to be delayed due to the current pandemic.
At this time the certification can be obtained on a voluntary basis. This is recommended, since a certification period of 6-8 months is expected and the regulation will be implemented 90 days after the announcement. Currently no factory inspections can be carried out, which leads to further delays. The certification process includes product tests and a factory inspection by an Indian auditor. In addition, the plant must have appropriate test facilities on site. These requirements are described in the Indian standard (for example applicable standard for phenol is IS 538: 2000).
In addition, an Authorized Indian Representative (AIR) is required for certification. If there is a subsidiary in India or an importer/dealer, they can be used as the authorized representative. If not, a third party will need to be appointed.
After successful completion, the BIS certificate will be issued and the products can be marked with the ISI logo accordingly. The BIS license is initially valid for one year only and usually requires an annual factory inspection to maintain it. After the first two years, the validity of the license is extended to two years. In addition, annual marking fees must be paid.
Please contact us to check if your product(s) is affected by the new regulation or for any questions you may have. We will gladly check, without obligation, if there is a BIS certification requirement for your products.
Please send us an email or call us at +49-69-2713769261.
For more information regarding the BIS certification, please read our free information booklet “BIS Certification – The Booklet“.
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