Government Issues Mandatory Quality Norms For Copper Products, Drums, Tin Containers To Curb Low Quality Imports

The DPIIT issued two notifications regarding the issue on October 20, under which these products cannot be made, sold, traded, imported, or stocked unless they have the BIS mark.

The department said that since copper and its alloys are used in power generation, power transmission, telecommunications, electrical circuits, and several appliances, ensuring their quality is crucial.

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The government has issued mandatory quality rules for copper products, drums, and tin containers to control the import of sub-standard products and enhance domestic manufacturing of these goods, an official statement informed on Monday. 

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) issued two notifications regarding the issue on October 20, namely the Drums and Tins (Quality Control) Order, 2023, and the Copper Products (Quality Control) Order, 2023. The products under these two orders cannot be made, sold, traded, imported, or stocked unless they have the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mark, reported PTI.

The department stated that these orders will be effective six months from the publication date of the notification. Elaborating on the orders, the DPIIT said, “Copper and its alloys are used in power generation, power transmission, telecommunications, electrical circuits, and several appliances. So, copper products need to be of the best quality, and the purity must not be compromised at any cost. The nine copper products covered under this order include wire rods for electrical applications; solid drawn copper and copper tubes for condensers and heat exchangers; and wrought copper tubes for refrigeration and air-conditioning purposes. In order to safeguard the domestic small/micro industries, ensure smooth implementation of the QCO and Ease of Doing Business, relaxations have been granted to small/micro industries as regards to timelines, additional three months have been given to small industries, and an additional six months to micro industries.”

Further, the department said that drums and tins are used for storing and transporting various kinds of toxic, flammable, and hazardous substances across industries including waste management, healthcare, and food services. Therefore, the department noted that ensuring good quality of these products becomes critical to protect against any type of leakages, adulteration, and fire damage. 

“DPIIT in consultation with BIS and stakeholders has been identifying key products for notifying QCO. This has led to the initiation of development of more than 60 new QCOs covering 318 product standards,” the industry authority body said. 

Violation of this provision of the BIS Act could lead to imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of at least Rs 2 lakh for a first offence. In the second and subsequent offences, the law mandates a fine of a minimum of Rs 5 lakh, which can be extended to around 10 times of the product value. The department is undertaking multiple initiatives, like the development of QCO to help users and manufacturers comprehend quality sensitisation. 

The department noted in addition to these initiatives, developing quality testing labs and product manuals will facilitate the creation of a quality ecosystem in the nation. Similar orders have earlier been issued for various products, like smart meters, welding rods and electrodes, cookware and utensils, fire extinguishers, electric ceiling fans, and domestic gas stoves.