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Mint
6 days ago
- Business
- Mint
India eases quality control norms on key chemicals imported from the US, China
The Centre has withdrawn quality control orders (QCOs) for three key industrial chemicals: acetic acid, methanol, and aniline to ease compliance burdens for domestic manufacturers, said a 23 July notification. These chemicals are critical inputs for sectors such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, dyes and intermediates, paints, adhesives, and agrochemicals. These QCOs, originally issued in August 2019, mandated that manufacturers and importers of these chemicals obtain Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification to sell their products in the Indian market. India sources significant quantities of acetic acid and aniline from China and the US, while methanol is primarily imported from Gulf countries. With the withdrawal of QCOs—a form of non-tariff barrier that mandates strict compliance for both domestic and imported goods—these chemicals will no longer require compliance with compulsory BIS standards, thereby removing a layer of regulatory control that many in the industry viewed as restrictive and costly. Mint reported on 13 December 2024 that the government may ease stringent quality control rules, criticized by local manufacturers and seen as a potential trigger for supply shortages. 'The move is seen as a softening of the government's stance to support manufacturing, in contrast to its broader push to tighten quality controls across sectors,' a senior executive from a chemical manufacturing company said on the condition of anonymity. The decision, taken after consultations with the BIS, comes at a time when protectionist barriers are rising globally, and India itself is subjecting a wide range of domestic and imported goods to closer scrutiny. A nationwide exercise to improve product standards, involving 37 ministries, is currently underway, Mint reported on 10 February 2025. As part of the government's ongoing quality enforcement drive, over 1,500 products are expected to be brought under stringent BIS quality norms by the end of 2025-26. A total of 758 products are still regulated through QCOs. In 2023, India imported acetic acid worth around $12 million from the US, compared to that worth over $186 million from China, according to data from the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS). Similarly, India sourced aniline and its salts worth around $2.79 million from the US, while imports of the same from China stood at $21.6 million during the same period. The withdrawal of QCOs on key industrial chemicals will offer much-needed breathing space to small and medium enterprises that were struggling with certification costs and supply disruptions, said Vinod Kumar, president of the India SME Forum. 'For many SMEs, especially those dependent on imported raw materials, the mandatory BIS compliance was becoming a bottleneck. This move will help ease sourcing constraints and reduce compliance burdens, allowing them to focus on manufacturing and competitiveness,' Kumar said. 'It's a welcome move that will help boost the manufacturing of chemicals in India,' said Kalyan Goswami, director general of the Agro Chem Federation of India (ACFI). 'Easing regulatory burdens will support domestic players and enhance competitiveness,' he said. India's exports of chemical and allied products stood at $130.73 billion in 2022-23, which declined to $108.59 billion in 2023-24.
IOL News
29-05-2025
- IOL News
Olorato Mongale's murder: A reflection on the dangers facing South African women
Olorato Mongale was recently found dead after going on a date. Image: X Olorato Mongale, a 30-year-old journalism graduate and WITS student, was recently found dead after going on a date. Police have announced that they have arrested one suspect and are searching for two more. On that tragic day, Mongale was picked up by her alleged date, sparking discussions about the precautions that South African women are expected to take to navigate the country's femicide crisis. Women For Change founder Sabrina Walter told IOL that she is exhausted by the same cycle of grief, outrage, and hollow discussions that follow every femicide. "The conversation shifts to what she could have done differently, as if women are responsible for their own murders," she said. "I am tired of being asked what 'precautions' women should take when the real question should be: Why are men still getting away with murder?" Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Walter asserted that Mongale did not die due to a lack of precautions, but because men who were reportedly out on bail gained access to her and ultimately murdered her. National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said two of the suspects are currently on the run, Bongani Mthimkhulu and Philangenkosi Makhanya were previously arrested and charged for kidnapping and robbery. Mathe said the syndicate preys on young women at malls. "We are investigating a syndicate. These men use the same modus operandi where they approach these young women at malls and ask to take them out on dates. When these women agree, that is when they plan to rob them," she said. Walter questioned why these men were free after the charges levelled against them. "Why does our justice system continue to fail women? Why is there no accountability for a system that allows violent men to roam free despite previous charges of kidnapping and robbery? "We are not dying because we aren't being careful enough. We are dying because our government is not doing enough. Where is President Ramaphosa while women are being murdered in their homes, on university campuses, in post offices, while going out on a date? Where is his leadership when we really need him?" Expressing the same sentiments, Mukhethwa Dzhugudzha said that the discourse about precautions should be shutdown. According to Dzhugudzha, Mongale was not reckless as she told her friends where she was going and even shared her location. On victim blaming and telling women to pick better, he said: "Abusers don't come with a label on their foreheads. They act like regular people... When you are telling women to be more careful, you are admitting that violence is normal and you're telling them to expect it from all men." He questioned why it is a woman's responsibility to avoid danger instead of violent men ceasing to perform cruel acts on a vulnerable population. "The truth is that women can do everything right, take every precaution and still end up like Olarato because it isn't women's judgment, it's men's entitlement" Presenting the fourth quarter crime figures for the 2024/25 financial year, police minister Senzo Mchunu said statistics revealed a decrease in murder rates but a rise in gender-based violence (GBV). Cape Argus
IOL News
29-05-2025
- IOL News
Olorato Mongale's death: Why South African women can't simply 'be careful' to avoid femicide
Why women in South Africa can't just 'be careful' to avoid violence. Image: X Olorato Mongale, a 30-year-old journalism graduate and WITS student, was recently found dead after going on a date. Police have announced that they have arrested one suspect and are searching for two more. On that tragic day, Mongale was picked up by her alleged date, sparking discussions about the precautions that South African women are expected to take to navigate the country's femicide crisis. Women For Change founder Sabrina Walter told IOL that she is exhausted by the same cycle of grief, outrage, and hollow discussions that follow every femicide. "The conversation shifts to what she could have done differently, as if women are responsible for their own murders," she said. "I am tired of being asked what 'precautions' women should take when the real question should be: Why are men still getting away with murder?" Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Walter asserted that Mongale did not die due to a lack of precautions, but because men who were reportedly out on bail gained access to her and ultimately murdered her. National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said two of the suspects are currently on the run, Bongani Mthimkhulu and Philangenkosi Makhanya were previously arrested and charged for kidnapping and robbery. Mathe said the syndicate preys on young women at malls. "We are investigating a syndicate. These men use the same modus operandi where they approach these young women at malls and ask to take them out on dates. When these women agree, that is when they plan to rob them," she said. Walter questioned why these men were free after the charges levelled against them. "Why does our justice system continue to fail women? Why is there no accountability for a system that allows violent men to roam free despite previous charges of kidnapping and robbery? "We are not dying because we aren't being careful enough. We are dying because our government is not doing enough. Where is President Ramaphosa while women are being murdered in their homes, on university campuses, in post offices, while going out on a date? Where is his leadership when we really need him?" Expressing the same sentiments, Mukhethwa Dzhugudzha said that the discourse about precautions should be shutdown. According to Dzhugudzha, Mongale was not reckless as she told her friends where she was going and even shared her location. On victim blaming and telling women to pick better, he said: "Abusers don't come with a label on their foreheads. They act like regular people... When you are telling women to be more careful, you are admitting that violence is normal and you're telling them to expect it from all men." He questioned why it is a woman's responsibility to avoid danger instead of violent men ceasing to perform cruel acts on a vulnerable population. "The truth is that women can do everything right, take every precaution and still end up like Olarato because it isn't women's judgment, it's men's entitlement" Presenting the fourth quarter crime figures for the 2024/25 financial year, police minister Senzo Mchunu said statistics revealed a decrease in murder rates but a rise in gender-based violence (GBV). IOL News Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Decoding the US Tariff Exclusion List—What it means for Indian exporters
Live Events Source: Authors' calculations based on trade data from WITS (UN COMTRADE) and technological category classification from UNCTAD The Trump-era tariffs that took effect on April 2, 2025, were largely driven by the substantial trade deficit of the US, which reached $1.48 trillion in 2023. To regulate this massive merchandise trade imbalance, the White House issued Executive Order 14257 on April 2, 2025, introducing reciprocal tariffs on the US's trading partners. The Executive Order includes two Annexes, with Annex I outlining additional ad valorem tariffs imposed on trading partners based on the US trade deficit , including a 26% tariff on India. Alarmed by the move, India initiated bilateral talks with the US even before the April 9 announcement of the 90-day tariff suspension. This headline figure, however, only reveals a portion of the broader what has not received adequate attention is the contents of Annex II of the order that provides an exclusion list, which includes items that are completely exempted from the additional tariffs. The list identifies products, down to the 8-digit level of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), that are exempt from the additional duties. An essential layer of nuance lies in the scope of these II specified 1,039 tariff lines under the exclusion list. Subsequently, the Presidential Memorandum announced on April 11, 2025, further expanded these carve-outs to include a wide range of high-tech goods, including semiconductors, smartphones, automatic data processing machines, transistors, and integrated circuits. Of the entire exclusion list, the top products included organic chemicals, accounting for 26.0%, followed by wood products at 14.1%, inorganic chemicals at 9.9%, copper at 7.6%, mineral fuels at 6.6%, electrical machinery at 5.6%, and pharmaceuticals at 5.3%.India's exports of items on the exclusion list accounted for 29.1% of its total exports to the US, offering a reprieve from the new tariffs and highlighting significant export opportunities. Among India's top exports to the US were gems and jewellery at 13.4%, electrical machinery at 13%, pharmaceuticals at 10%, and mineral fuels at 8.6%—together comprising a substantial share of the overall trade. A number of these items will benefit from exemption under the newly implemented tariffs. Smartphones, one of India's top exports to the US, have been spared, and nearly half of India's electrical item exports by value now escape the tariff dragnet. For the Indian pharma sector , 99.7% of its export value has been exempted. Also, Indian exports of mineral fuels are completely immune to the additional duties. The exclusion list, however, does not offer any relief to India's largest export item to the US—gem and jewellery, which will remain largely exposed to the brunt of the new interesting insight emerges when items in the exclusion list are classified by the level of skill and technology into four main groups: primary and agro-based manufactures, resource-based manufactures, low-technology manufactures, and medium- and high-technology manufactures. Almost 75% of the exclusion list belongs to medium- and high-tech manufactures, and resource-based manufactures (comprising largely of metals, mineral products, and organic chemicals), thus protecting India's exports worth almost $21.5 is not surprising, given that India's exports to the US have undergone structural changes in the past few years. In 2010, low-technology manufactures accounted for 36% of India's exports, forming the largest chunk. However, by 2023, the share of these items in India's exports fell to 26%. On the other hand, medium- and high-technology manufactures accounted for 31% of India's exports in 2010 but increased to 42% in 2023. Low-technology products have, in fact, drawn the highest tariffs at 29% and remain the most exposed under the new tariff the US exclusion list has helped buffer a significant portion of India's exports from the tariff shock, the volatility surrounding the new Trump-era trade policy raises concerns. With the administration's unpredictable stance, the reintroduction of currently exempt items into the tariff net remains a real Taneja is professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER); Nirlipta Rath and Vasudha Upreti are Research Assistants at ICRIER. Views are personal.
India Gazette
15-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Make India a global hub for eyewear manufacturing and exports: Piyush Goyal to Lenskart CEO
New Delhi [India], May 15 (ANI): Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met Lenskart Co-founder and CEO Peyush Bansal to discuss the potential of making India a global hub for manufacturing and exporting eyewear. The meeting focused on tapping into India's growing capabilities in this sector and reducing the country's dependence on imported eyewear a social media post the minister stated that he was pleased to see the steps Lenskart is taking to improve access to vision care across India. He also spoke about how Indian companies like Lenskart can play a key role in boosting exports and creating a strong global presence for Indian-made eyewear. He said 'Met Mr. Peyush Bansal, Co-founder & CEO of Lenskart, and discussed how India can become a global manufacturing & export hub for eyewear. I was pleased to learn about the company's impactful social initiatives to expand access to vision care across the country'. According to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity, India's share in global eyewear exports was only 0.39 per cent in 2023, placing the country at the 16th position out of 209. In value terms, India exported eyewear worth USD 48.8 million in 2023, ranking 594 out of 1,212 products. The United Kingdom was the top destination for Indian eyewear exports, receiving products worth USD 17.3 million. It was also the fastest-growing market for India, with exports increasing by USD 14.4 million from 2022 to 2023. However, on the import side, India brought in eyewear worth USD 198 million in 2023, with China being the largest supplier at USD 171 million. China is showing fastest growth by increasing its exports to India by USD 92.7 million between 2022 and 2023. Further data from the World Integrated Trade Solutions (WITS) by the World Bank shows that India imported sunglasses worth USD 177,353.44K in 2023, with a total quantity of 193,266,000 items. Most of these sunglasses came from China (USD 154,152.35K for 191,691,000 items), followed by Italy, the United States, Japan, and other Asian countries. The Economic Complexity Index (ECI) for India stood at 0.65 in 2023, placing it 39th out of 132 countries. This index shows the diversity and complexity of a country's export products. With high imports and low global export share, the meeting between Piyush Goyal and Peyush Bansal highlighted the need for India to boost local manufacturing and aim to become a major exporter of eyewear in the world. (ANI)
