India extends the implementation date for five chemicals

The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) in India has pushed back the deadlines for implementing quality control orders (QCOs) issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for five substances. These substances are tagged ‘specialty’ chemicals by the BIS and the deadline is now June 22, 2022, rather than December 21, 2021, as originally planned.

These five substances are:  

· Phthalic anhydride 

· Ethylene glycol

· Toluene 

· Terephthalic acid, and 

· N-butyl acrylate. 

The DCPC, on the 24^th of December, issues separate notifications for each chemical saying the government, after consultation with BIS, agrees that an extension is needed in the public interest. This is also attributed to the difficulties government officials are facing regarding samples collection, laboratory tests, products certification due to COVID related travel restrictions.

Therefore, manufacturers, importers, and traders of these chemicals can continue to operate under prevailing trade regulations until the new deadline set as June 22, 2022. Until then, manufacturers and distributors will have to carry relevant BIS Indian Standard (IS) specification numbers and markings on their packaging and labels.

Last Update: 2022-02-16