No DPIIT QCO Exemptions for Imports by MSEs: Mundra Customs Issues Directives to Docks Section and Import Assessment Officers
The directives reaffirm the stance on the QCOs issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
The Office of the Principal Commissioner of Customs, Mundra, Kutch, Gujarat, has issued a directive instructing Docks Section and Import Assessment officers to strictly enforce Quality Control Orders (QCOs) issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and ensure that Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) do not claim exemptions for imports under QCOs. The...
The Office of the Principal Commissioner of Customs, Mundra, Kutch, Gujarat, has issued a directive instructing Docks Section and Import Assessment officers to strictly enforce Quality Control Orders (QCOs) issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and ensure that Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) do not claim exemptions for imports under QCOs.
The alert, titled "Import of Goods in Contravention of QCOs Issued by DPIIT," was released under Alert Notice: 02/2025, clarifies that relaxations provided under QCOs for MSEs do not extend to imports.
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The DPIIT has been issuing QCOs mandating that specific goods conform to Indian Standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). While MSEs have been granted extended timelines to comply with these standards for domestic production, some importers have been incorrectly claiming these exemptions to bypass statutory import restrictions.
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In response to this issue, Customs authorities had previously sought clarification from the DPIIT regarding the applicability of these relaxations to imports wherein the customs were apprised that QCO exemptions for MSEs are only meant for obtaining BIS licenses under domestic Conformity Assessment Rules and do not apply to imports.
Therefore, import restrictions under the QCOs remain applicable to all enterprises, including MSEs, from the date of implementation of the QCO.
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Following this clarification, Mundra Customs has directed officers to ensure strict compliance with QCOs and prevent imports that do not meet the prescribed Indian Standards. Importers may by no means misuse MSE exemptions to bring in goods that are non-compliant with the QCOs issued by DPIIT.
The Alert Notice, undersigned by Mukesh Kumari, Additional Commissioner, SIIB, Custom House, Mundra has further required the officers of the Docks Section and Import Assessment Section to be apprised of the above clarifications to ensure strict compliance with the QCO and that no goods in prohibition of the QCOs are imported into India.
To Read the full text of the Order CLICK HERE
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