Thailand, Indonesia raise concerns at India’s QCOs on leather, textiles, restrictions on copper, tyres

New Delhi: Indonesia and Thailand have questioned at the World Trade Organization (WTO) India’s quality control orders (QCO) on various products including medical textiles, footwear and viscose staple fibre, and certain measures which restrict its import of copper, wooden boards and tyres. These issues came up at a meeting on market access in WTO on Wednesday.

Last year, Canada, Japan, the UK and the EU had raised concerns at India’s QCOs terming them protectionist.

“Some new trade concerns pertaining to India’s QCOs were raised at the meeting,” said a Geneva-based official.


Indonesia also raised concerns at QCOs on plywood and wooden flush door shutters, viscose rayon cut staple spun yarn, and dyed knitted or crochet fabric made from synthetic fibres.

To encourage local manufacturing, India has issued QCOs on many products such as toys, aluminium products, lighters, sports goods, potable water bottles and insulated flasks, resin-treated compressed wood laminates and wooden furniture. By bringing these goods under quality norms, New Delhi aims to curb substandard imports.

QCOs mandate compliance of a specified Indian Standard, obtaining a valid licence from the Bureau of Indian Standards and bearing of the standard mark on the covered products.

“We have been informing all members that QCOs are applicable to domestic production also and not only imports, and that the quality of Indian products will define the future of its trade,” said another official.

India has already put in placed import restrictions on tyres as part of the government’s plan to encourage local manufacturing. The government has unveiled incentives for select sectors for local manufacturing through production linked incentive schemes.

At the WTO, Thailand raised concerns at some measures that may have unintended results equivalent to quantitative restrictions on the import of copper, wooden boards, and tyres, the first official said.