Govt rolls out quality mandate for copper products, drums, tin containers

The government has issued mandatory quality norms for copper products, drums and tin containers to curb the import of sub-standard goods and boost domestic manufacturing of these goods, an official statement said on Monday.

Two separate notifications - Drums and Tins (Quality Control) Order, 2023; and Copper Products (Quality Control) Order, 2023 - in this regard were issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) on October 20.

Items under these two orders cannot be produced, sold, traded, imported and stocked unless they bear the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mark.

These orders will come into force with effect from six months from the date of publication of this notification, 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, the department said.

Similarly, drums and tins are basically used for storing and transporting several different types of toxic, flammable and hazardous substances. They are widely used across industries including waste management, healthcare and food services..

So, it is imperative that Drums and tins need to be of good quality in order to protect any type of leakages, adulteration and fire damage, it added.

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, it said.

Violation of the provision of the BIS Act can attract imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of at least Rs 2 lakh for the first offence.

In case of second and subsequent offences, the fine will increase to a minimum of Rs 5 lakh and extend up to 10 times of the value of goods or articles.

Various initiatives, including the development of QCO, are being undertaken by the department to develop quality sensitisation among users and manufacturers alike.

These initiatives, coupled with developing quality testing labs and product manuals, would help build a quality ecosystem in the country, it said.

Mandatory QCOs help curb the import of sub-standard products, prevent unfair trade practices, and ensure the safety and well-being of consumers, as well as the environment.

These initiatives, coupled with the development of testing labs, product manuals, and accreditation of test labs would aid the development of a quality ecosystem in the country.

Earlier, such orders have been issued for several goods such as smart meters, welding rods and electrodes, cookware and utensils, fire extinguishers, electric ceiling fans and domestic gas stoves.