To check imports of cheap and sub-standard screws, mainly from China, affecting small-scale domestic producers, the government has issued a Quality Control Order for “cross-recessed screws” prescribing that making it mandatory for the items to have a BIS certification for sale in the country.
The Gazette notification for the ‘Cross Recessed Screws (Quality Control) Order’, enlisting 14 standards for screws, was issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on September 17 and will take effect in March 2025.
This follows the imposition of a minimum import price (MIP) of ₹129 per kg of screws imposed by the government earlier this year.
“The QCO is important as there were allegations that under invoicing was taking place and screws imported from China were being cleared at a low price,” an official tracking the matter said.
The inflow of cheap screws from China was battering the small and medium enterprises in India which are producing the items. India’s imports of screws are at an estimated 10,000-12,000 tonnes per annum.
It was brought to the government’s attention that while QCO had been issued for nuts, bolts and fasteners, the screw industry was left out. A case was made by the industry demonstrating how cheap imports were hurting small producers,” the official said.
QCOs are mandatory requirement of quality certification from Indian bodies such as the BIS. Both domestic manufacturers and importers of the items have to follow it. However, exports of the items from the country and imports used as inputs are mostly exempt.
The QCO on screws also exempts goods imported up to 200 kg for the purpose of research and development by manufacturers of the item per year provided such imported goods are not sold commercially or disposed of as scrap.