US red flags India’s import quality control norms as 'burdensome'

. The 2025 National Trade Estimate Report(NTER) published by the US government on Thursday termed India’s quality control norms as a technical barrier.

India’s quality control norms for imports are posing serious challenges to exporters, with the US government calling these “inappropriate”, “burdensome” and not fully aligned with international standards.  The 2025 National Trade Estimate Report (NTER) published by the US government on April 2 termed India’s quality control norms as a technical barrier which make it difficult for foreign exporters to send goods into India.

At the heart of the issue are the set of regulations introduced by India since 2019, making it mandatory for several categories of importers to obtain Bureau of Indian Standards(BIS) certification on quality control. These changes apply to a range of products including steel, polyethylene, toys, footwear, and certain input materials for pharma sector.

The observations made by the US NTER assume significance, as any country wanting to obtain a respite from Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs under Section 4 of the April 2 need to address trade and non-trade barriers pointed out by NTER.

“The United States has concerns that BIS standards are not fully aligned with international standards without demonstrating they would be ineffective or inappropriate, often do not provide a means of establishing conformity or include significantly burdensome requirements, and lack clear timelines for transition periods and license validity,” the NTER report released on April 2 said.

The new norms have been troublesome not just for the US but even exporters from Asian countries such as Vietnam and South Korea who have been facing difficulties, including delays.

These measures have been put in place to protect domestic manufacturers from dumping of goods in India by export-oriented countries, experts said.

A country can discourage imports from a certain country by either imposing tariffs or by placing higher compliance burden on imports, which are considered “non-tariff” barriers.

Anti-dumping duties imposed on imports such as Steel and aluminium are an example of tariff barriers.

“As of early 2025, approximately 187 quality control orders (QCOs) covering 769 products have been notified for compulsory BIS certification This marks a sharp rise from just a decade ago – for instance, in 2014 there were only 14 QCOs covering 106 products,” said Ranjeet Mahtani, partner, Dhruva Advisors.

“The surge reflects India’s push to enforce quality standards across a wide range of imports and domestically sold goods, for reasons cited as consumer safety, public health, and national security. Besides, QCOs are a tool to control cross-border trade, i.e. these double up as non-tariff barriers (NTB),” he said.

The quality norms apply to even domestic producers. Generally, each country has its own government prescribed quality standards. Countries such as South Korea and Vietnam have been lobbying with India to recognise the quality certifications of their home jurisdiction instead of seeking BIS approval.

“The increase in BIS norms reflects a commitment to ensuring that Indians have access to high-quality and safe products. It should be noted, however, that these standards apply equally to both imports and domestically produced goods. While this scrutiny has increased gradually, it cannot be termed an import-specific non-tariff barrier due to its application across the board,” said Anurag Sehgal, executive director, Price Waterhouse & Co LLP.

“India’s approach to raising quality standards is neither unusual nor unexpected — as observed in many developed economies — and enforcing stringent quality standards are a measure to protect consumers and improve product safety, not targeted trade barriers.”