On 28 June 2022, we have already reported on the list of required-to-certify chemicals. In 2021, the Indian government began subjecting various chemicals to a BIS certification issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards. Originally, these chemicals were to be subject to mandatory certification at different but closely spaced points in time in 2022 and 2023 in order to be imported.
However, as is so often the case in India, the expectation failed to meet the plans of the Bureau and the industry, which was (fortunately) forced to exert pressure on the government. For nine of the more than 60 chemicals at the time, this means that mandatory certification has now been postponed until 2024.
The following table contains the nine products with the relevant IS standards and the date from which these products may only be imported into India with BIS certification following the updates:
| Chemicals, polymers & fatty acids | |||
| S. No. | Indian Standard | Title | Valid from (QCO) |
| 1 | IS 7328:2020 | Polyethylene material for moulding and extrusion | 5 January 2024 |
| 2 | IS 5149:2020 | Maleic anhydride | 24 April 2024 |
| 3 | IS 13601:1993 | Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers | 3 April 2024 |
| 4 | IS 10931 : 1984 | Lauric acid | 24 April 2024 |
| 5 | IS 12029 : 1986 | Sour oil | 24 April 2024 |
| 6 | IS 12067: 1987 | Palm fatty acids | 24 April 2024 |
| 7 | IS 12068: 1987 | Rice bran fatty acids | 24 April 2024 |
| 8 | IS 12069: 1987 | Coconut fatty acids | 24 April 2024 |
| 9 | IS 12068 :1987 | Hydrogenated rice bran fatty acids | 24 April 2024 |
The BIS certification according to the FMCS scheme includes an inspection of the production plant, product tests in India and a corresponding marking of the products after successful certification. Further information on the details of BIS certification can be found here.
If you have any questions about these or other points or would like a copy of a standard, please contact us at any time. Our long-standing contacts with all relevant Indian authorities allow us to respond quickly and we are happy to support you in any certification project.
You can find our contact information here.