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CHAPTER 15
QUALITY CONTROL AND PRE-SHIPMENT INSPECTION
Compulsory Preshipment Inspection
Under the Export Quality Control Inspection Act 1963, there are as
many as 1057 commodities under major groups of foods &
agriculture, fisheries etc. By amendment act of 1984, Directorate of
Inspection and Quality Control has been given wide powers of
seizure and search of goods etc. Provision of confiscation of goods
have been strengthened more to keep Exporters in discipline and
improve the Indian Export Trade.
To ease Pre-shipment inspection system for Exports the
Government reviewed the procedure in July 1991. According to the
revision the trading houses, including the star trading houses, and
export houses that are recognised by the Central Government
would be exempted from the purview of compulsory pre-shipment
inspection for all products covered under Export (Quality and
Inspection) Act of 1963.
In Process Quality Control (I P Q C) units for all such notified,
products would be authorised to issue statutory certificates of
inspection on their own.
Buyers Agency :
At times the foreign buyers, lay down their own
standards/specifications which may or may not be in consonance
with the Indian standards including the stipulation under the quality
control regulation. Similarly the overseas buyers may nominate
their own agencies/persons for inspection before shipment.
Compulsory Inspection of Textile Goods :
For Textile goods and also for ready made goods inspection, has to
be conducted by the textile committee inspectors.
1. For Hand Woven Cotton/Mixed Yarn goods voluntary
inspection has to be done especially for export to EEC
countries and U.S.A. The certificate meant for EEC countries
should be in five languages.
2. Handloom certificate and certificate of origin for handloom
goods for export to EEC countries.
3. ESP certificates for items entitled to tariff concession under
the Generalised system of preference operated by almost all
the developed countries.
4. Endorsement of U.S. Special customs invoice otherwise
known as visa certificate.
5. Certification of Indian items.
Leg up for exports: government plans green channel clearance for
traders
A new green channel customs facility that will allow hassle-free and
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expeditious clearance of India's $600-billion trade will be in place

soon, helping bring down transaction costs for traders.
Consignments will be cleared by customs official based on self
declaration by traders after payment of duties, a system followed in
many countries, including China.
In the current system an inspector verifies the cargo, decides the
duty and finally clears it, making the process cumbersome and
prone to abuse.

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