Quality Control Orders

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry has recently notified two new Quality Control Orders (QCOs) on 'Potable Water Bottles' and 'Flame-Producing Lighters'.

These QCOs aim to strengthen the quality ecosystem in India and ensure the public health and safety of consumers.

The QCO for ‘Potable water bottles’ mandates compulsory certification under the appropriate IS Standard for the production and import of potable water bottles made of copper, stainless steel, or aluminum.
The QCO for ‘Flame-Producing Lighter’ mandates compulsory certification under IS Standards for ‘Safety Specification for Lighters’, and ‘Safety Specifications for Utility Lighters’, for the Flame lighters manufactured for domestic market or imported into India.

QCOs are regulatory measures introduced by the government to establish quality standards for specific products or product categories. These orders are designed to ensure that products meet certain prescribed quality, safety, and performance requirements before they can be manufactured, imported, stored, or sold in the country.
The main objective of QCOs is to control the import of sub-standard and cheaper items into the domestic market and ensure that customers have access to quality products that meet the necessary standards.
QCOs cannot be challenged at the World Trade Organization (WTO) if they are imposed on the grounds of health, safety, environment and deceptive trade practices, or national security.
To ensure compliance with the quality standards set forth in the QCOs, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) play a crucial role.
- BIS is responsible for certifying products that meet the prescribed standards, both for domestic and international manufacturers.
- With the QCOs, manufacturing, storing and sale of non-BIS certified products are prohibited as per the BIS Act, 2016."

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