Indian authorities extend deadline for certification of steel products by another 3 months
13. May 2020The Indian Ministry of Steel has extended the deadline for certification of steel products on 23 April 2020 by three months. The decision was taken due to limitations of the coronavirus situation in India and the rest of the world. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) had to shut down its operations and laboratories. The implementation of the new guidelines was therefore postponed by three months, according to the Ministry’s instructions.
The operation of the BIS, their laboratories and also the certification and control of the process does not fall under the category of necessary services under the safety lockdown and quarantine measures, a BIS spokesman said. Some steel products are sourced outside India and are subject to mandatory certification for which business travel is required. Due to the current situation, however, this is not possible for an indefinite period, the BIS continued.
The industry associations are sceptical, however, as to whether a three-month extension of the deadline is appropriate. It is assumed that it will take at least one year to implement the directives. Siddahrta Bothra, the CEO of IQ Minerals & Metals, agrees with this and said BIS inspectors cannot visit foreign suppliers and producers for the next 8 to 10 months due to travel restrictions. Even after a relaxation he sees further delays. The visit of the BIS inspectors is part of the certification according to the legal requirements and the complete process will take at least 8 months, Bothra added.
India imports iron-silicon, iron-nickel alloys as well as hot-rolled flat steel from countries such as Bhutan, Norway and China, among others. The annual import volume is around 300,000 tons, as India can only cover one third of its needs from its own production. The Bureau of Indian Standards, or BIS for short, is a national Indian certification organisation under the umbrella of the Indian Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food & Public Distribution. In addition to many consumer products, raw materials also fall into the category of monitored products. We would be pleased to support you in BIS certification and are also available to answer any questions you may have.
