The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) has urged the Indian Government to defer the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order (QCO) till March 2022 since the country is dependent on imports to meet consumers’ total tinplate/ tin-free steel demands, according to media reports quoting PHDCCI President Sanjay Aggarwal.
The order was issued in July 2020 and requires foreign suppliers to get a license from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to supply tinplate/tin-free steel products to consumers in India. It is valid for 9 months till April 17, 2021.
The body said that the demand for tinplate/tin free steel in India is around 6,50,000mt, of which 4,00,000mt is available domestically.
The gap in demand and supply is met through imports, materials which are aligned to the International Standard Organisation (ISO) should be allowed to be sold to the consumers and implementation of the QCO order should be extended, the industry body said.
It added that this would support crucial industries like tin can making, metal packaging, and the processed food industries, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted trade across the globe.
With the flight bans and logistics problems, foreign tinplate mills are likely to face issues in getting the relevant BIS license to supply their products to India. The organization also said that extension will help a large number of small can makers in the MSMEs sector and avoid job losses.