Plastic exporters seek policy push
Urges govt not to impose mandatory standard certification norms as it will have serious ramifications on outbound shipments
image for illustrative purpose
New Delhi: Plastic exporters body Plexconcil has urged the government not to impose mandatory standard certification norms on import of polymers as it will have "serious" ramifications on the outbound shipments of the sector.
India's plastics exports have already recorded a contraction of 4.2 per cent to $3.27 billion during April-June 2022. Polymers like PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), Polypropylene, ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene), HDPE (High Density Polyethylene), LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene), LLDPE (Linear Low Density Polyethylene), and Polycarbonate are key raw materials for the plastic industry. According to the Plastic Export Promotion Council (Plexconcil), the Department of Chemicals wants to impose mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) norms on polymers.
"This is very harmful for the plastic processing industry as polymers are already in shortage in the country due to not enough production in the country and imports are inevitable. Domestic processing industry will become uncompetitive," said, the council's chairman Arvind Goenka. He said India is not yet self-reliant in polymers and its imports are inevitable. Imposition of this non-trade barrier will increase the price of polymers for Indian importers, making domestic plastic processors uncompetitive, Goenka said.
It will also make it difficult for MSME players to compete with imports of cheap finished articles of plastics which will not be governed under any quality control order. Instead, he suggested that the government should impose mandatory BIS norms on finished plastic goods as it will ensure a "good" quality product in the hands of consumers.
