DPIIT to Enforce QCOs for Stainless Steel Seamless Pipes & Tubes from August 2025.
National
On February 10, 2025, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoC&I) issued the 'Stainless Steel Pipes and Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2025,' enforcing quality standards for stainless steel seamless pipes and tubes, effective from August 1, 2025.
- The order aims to restrict the import of sub-standard products, boost domestic manufacturing, prevent unfair trade practices, and ensure consumer safety.
- The Stainless Steel Pipes and Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2025 mandates a BIS mark for stainless steel seamless pipes and tubes for general service, restricting their production, sale, trade, import, or storage without it, while exempting domestically manufactured goods for export.
- Violations of the BIS Act, 2016, can lead to imprisonment of up to two years or fines starting from ₹2 lakh, increasing to ₹5 lakh or ten times the goods' value for repeat offences.
Main Point :- (i) Under the BIS Act, 2016, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has been issuing QCOs, mandating specified products to obtain mandatory BIS certification. These QCOs comply with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.
(ii) Once a QCO takes effect, no entity can manufacture, import, distribute, sell, store, or display for sale any covered product without a valid BIS certification and standard mark.
(iii) DPIIT has been issuing QCOs since 1987, covering 81 orders for over 330 products under the BIS Act, including essential items such as cement, LPG gas stoves, pressure cookers, air conditioners, and refrigerators.
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