Page 38 - FDMASIA JanFeb 2024

36 FoCUs Jan/Feb 2024 FDM AsiA | www.fdmasia.com

Freepik Products affected
Panels
MDF is being imported to India from Vietnam, Malaysia, and
Thailand. Similarly, plywood is being imported from Russia,
Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia and China and others.
Particleboard is being imported mainly from Malaysia, Thailand,

China and Vietnam.
After the notifcation of mandatory BIS for these products
the importers are insisting that overseas shippers obtain the
BIS standard.
The Indian particleboard industry has a very short of
will be free to decide whether or not to plant commercial time to secure the ISI Mark (a standards-compliance mark
tree species which will create an opportunity for land owners, for industrial products in India since 1950. The mark certifes
especially small land owners, to generate additional income. that a product conforms to an Indian standard) because the
deadline for them is 10 February 2024.

Mandatory Standards for panels and furniture According to the BIS, approximately 80 percent of
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has issued mandatory particleboard and pre-lam particleboard producers have not
quality control orders for plywood, blockboard, doors, MDF, obtained an ISI mark from the BIS.
particleboard, shuttering ply and a range of other products and BIS Offcials confrm that the BIS Quality Control Order is
advised businesses to prepare and secure BIS compatible. The fnal and for the beneft of consumers and that the industry
order applies to domestic producers and overseas suppliers. should come forward and secure certifcation.
The Order, called the Wood-Based Boards (Quality Control) It has been reported that India has 90 pre-lam board

Order, 2023 will come into force six months from the date producers but as of October this year only 18 have ISI
of publication of the notifcation. The Government order will certifcates.
apply tom overseas producers of MDF and Plywood who
export materials to India and suppliers have been anxiously Furniture
contacting importers. The government also proposes bringing furniture under BIS marks,
The BIS order is mandatory for all companies and it is but this has been resisted by local manufacturers and importers
understood that plywood manufacturers in India’s unorganised saying quality standardisation will be very diffcult to meet.
sector will be given up to twelve months to comply. The BIS The Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) wants beds, wooden
order will apply to wood products manufactured locally for tables and chairs to be able to take a load of 110 kgs and 60

export and the entry into force will be six months for large kgs respectively and meet stability, strength and durability tests.
companies, nine months for medium sized companies and The industry says that the Quality Control Order (QCO),
12 months for small and micro industries. which applies to imported and domestically produced beds
Sources at the BIS confrm that overseas panel producers and chairs, is putting excessive burdens on them as the
have been approaching the BIS offce to be certifed but for Standards are tough to comply with.
many there are questions such as “how to get BIS certifcation The private sector and industry bodies have sought a review
and what are the costs for meeting the BIS Standard”. of the Standards arguing that they should be aligned with