Indian capital goods and process equipment manufacturers and exporters have sought an immediate ban on imports of all non-standard stainless steel into the country, an official with the Process Plant and Machinery Manufacturers Association of India (PPMAI) said on Wednesday, December 5.
In a communication to the Ministry of Steel, the PPMAI has sought modification of the steel quality control order so that imports of stainless steel second grade material, defectives and products not conforming to standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will be immediately banned.
“These stainless steel seconds, defectives and non standard imports are mostly imported for use in low-end industrial products and household utensils and cutlery, and account for more than 60 percent of the market for stainless steel products, but these are not included under any standards and hence result in use of sub-standard imported stainless steel,” Yatinder Pal Singh, chairman of the PPMAI, said.