look news india
Ahmedabad: Imports of steel fasteners including nuts, bolts and screws in India may be banned, as the quality control order (QCA) will be effective from next week. This possible situation has posed a threat to a large number of small manufacturing units being closed. On Wednesday, a Delhi -based think tank feared that these new rules could lead to jobs of thousands of people.
Steel fasteners are important for stability, durability and safety of the industrial area. Steel fasteners are used in various fields such as automotive, manufacturing, electronics, machines and equipment manufacturing, railways, military, defense etc.
According to the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), the import of steel fasteners will be discontinued from March 20, as no foreign manufacturer has received approval under the standardization process of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This will create uncertainty and supply disruption at the lowest level of the supply chain.
Due to the new rules, many important areas such as automobiles, aerospace, electronics and defense in India will be highly dependent on the import of certain types of fasteners. The production will be at risk due to the sudden clouds of uncertainty on all these areas.
The government has issued quality control orders to ensure the quality of products, protect human, animal and plant health and prevent improper practices. Government departments have issued a notification in this regard after consulting the Bureau of Indian Standards. Compliance with this order is mandatory for domestic and foreign manufacturers, ie manufacturers and importers must follow specific standards and obtain BIS certification to ensure compliance of these standards.
In this context, the Department of Industries and Internal Trade Promotion (DPIIT) had issued quality control orders last September and has decided to implement them in a phased manner. These rules will be applicable to all importers and big companies from March 20. This order will be applicable from 20 June and 20 September for small and medium enterprises respectively. India produces standard fasteners but depends on imports for high quality fasteners. However, imported fasteners will no longer be available.
According to data compiled by GTRI, India’s total import of steel fasteners from various countries around the world in 2024 was around $ 1.1 billion. China is the largest in total imports, which is $ 306 million. This was followed by Rs 127 million from Japan, $ 111 million from South Korea, $ 107 million from Germany, $ 104 million from the US, $ 78 million from Thailand and $ 63 million from Singapore. According to the report, ‘foreign manufacturers may be reluctant to registration due to complex and cumbersome BIS approval process and low trade volume’.