PPMAI writes to steel ministry for import exemption

Capital goods industry has written to ministry of steel to immediately issue exemption notice for easy imports of steel used in high end industry application.

The non-issuing of exemption list notification by the ministry of steel has led to consignments getting stuck at various ports in the country leading to heavy losses, the Process Plant and Machinery Association of India (PPMAI) which represents capital goods and process equipment manufacturing and exporting industry in India has said in a letter.

It urged the ministry to immediately issue exemption notice to customs department on new stainless steel grades which are not included in Bureau of India Standard (BIS) standard 6911 under stainless steel products quality control order .

“The BIS standard 6911 does not include about 40 major new grades which are currently being used globally and by the domestic capital goods manufacturing companies for the high end industrial applications. The exemption notification by the steel ministry to customs department for these grades will ensure easy imports and ease of doing business,” V P Ramachandran, General Secretary, PPMAI said in the letter .

“Despite repeated reminders the ministry officials have ignored the list provided by capital goods industry which had grades conforming to International standards, but ministry ignored the list instead exempted so many non standard grades which have no global standard recognition. This has happened despite secretary, ministry of heavy industry and DIPP writing to ministry requesting exemption,” said Ramachandran.

DH News Service