Relief for Traders and slightly improved Pre-Shipment Inspection rules for Indian Imports

(see also BIR news dated 18/08/09, 29/07/09, 25/06/09 and of 24/04/09)

After considerable efforts by BIR and its Indian members and in particular the BIR Ambassador to India in promoting necessary changes regarding the controls of imports into India, the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forest latest 23rd of September Notice S.O.2447(E) makes improvements that will allow traders to provide their services to their clients, the "actual users", having registered with the State Pollution Control Board. Also the new Indian rules allow both inspection agencies "certified by the exporting country" and inspection and certification agencies "approved by the Director General of Foreign Trade" to provide exporters with pre-shipment inspection certificates where required.

It is still the case that not every exporting country will have the services of an inspection agency, and certain inspection agencies are likely to continue to refuse to provide certificates for India (due to the required certificate wording and its liability). Still for exporting countries that do not have an inspection agency "certified by the exporting country" they can utilize an agency "approved by the Director General of Foreign Trade".

BIR will keep its members informed on important future developments.

Links to key Indian rules are:

The new Rule S.O.2447(E), [23/09/2009] at [ http://www.envfor.nic.in/legis/hsm/SO2447.pdf ]

amends the Rule S.O.1799(E), [21/07/2009] at [ http://www.envfor.nic.in/legis/hsm/SO1799E.pdf ]

which amends the main Rules S.O.2265(E), [24/09/2008] on Hazardous Wastes (Management,Handling and Transboundary Movement) at [ http://envfor.nic.in/legis/hsm/HAZMAT_2265_eng.pdf ]

Note also the list of  "the inspection and certification agency approved by the Director General of Foreign Trade" [ http://164.100.9.245/exim/2000/apndxftp0809/appnd-5.pdf ]

The amendments by DGFT include, but may not be limited to Public Notices as :
[ http://164.100.9.245/exim/2000/cir/cir05/cir3205.htm ]
[ http://164.100.9.245/exim/2000/pn/pn05/pn0605.htm ]
[ http://164.100.9.245/exim/2000/pn/pn05/pn1105.htm ]
[ http://164.100.9.245/exim/2000/pn/pn05/pn2605.htm ]
[ http://164.100.9.245/exim/2000/pn/pn05/pn3305.htm ]
[ http://dgftcom.nic.in/exim/2000/pn/pn05/pn3805.htm]
[ http://dgftcom.nic.in/exim/2000/pn/pn05/pn3905.htm ]
[ http://dgftcom.nic.in/exim/2000/pn/pn05/pn5105.htm ]
[ http://164.100.9.245/exim/2000/pn/pn07/pn4407.htm ]
[ http://164.100.9.245/exim/2000/pn/pn08/pn8908.htm ]
[ http://164.100.9.245/exim/2000/pn/pn08/pn9708.htm ]
[ http://164.100.9.245/exim/2000/pn/pn08/pn14108.htm ]

*WARNING BEWARE OF TEMPORARY SUSPENSIONS AND ADDITIONS TO THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVED LIST IN APPENDIX 5.