Customs authorities have tightened the procedures for import of toys to ensure compliance with the quality norms of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The move is a part of a series of measures taken by the government to control import of cheap and sub-standard toys from countries like China and promote domestic manufacturing of these items.
According to official sources, officers are being sensitised to ensure that not only toys but also parts of toys that are imported into the country are fully compliant with the BIS norms.
Often completely knocked down (CKD) or semi-knocked down (SKD) toy parts are imported, which are then assembled in the country. “These (toy parts) must also be considered as toys and the same quality and compliance standards are used to monitor these too,” said an official source. It is also essential for manufacturers importing toy parts for domestic manufacturing to also have BIS certification, the source added.
Further, the definition of toys should not only include those items in the customs HSN code but also in the BIS Quality Control Order (QCO). This could include all material that is used in play by children up to 14 years of age, the source said.
These steps follows the increase in the import duty on toys and its components to a hefty 70% in the Union Budget 2023-24. Previously, in February 2020, the basic customs duty on toys was hiked to 60% from 20%.
Thanks to various measures taken by the government, import of toys declined to `870 crore in 2021-22 from `2,960 crore in 2018-19. Exports of toys by India have shot up `1,017 crore during the April-December period this fiscal and was `2,601 crore in 2021-22.
Recently, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government won’t have “inward-looking” (protectionist) policy, and import duties would be reduced further without hurting the domestic industry, while keeping a close watch on sudden surges in imports that could dent the local manufacturers.
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has also issued fresh guidelines on these aspects to field officials. According to the norms, field officers should also sensitise importers to enter the manufacturer details and their BIS licence at the appropriate place in the Bill of Entry that is filed for customs clearance.
“The field formations and directorates may take necessary steps to prevent violation of the toys QCO and ensure that officers handling the assessment of these goods have a clear understanding of the requirements under these orders,” it further said.
According to the QCO, every toy should conform to the requirements of the relevant Indian standard and bear the standard mark under a licence from BIS as per Scheme-I of BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. The QCO is applicable to both domestic manufacturers as well as foreign manufacturers.
In a recent tweet, the CBIC had said the customs department is closely monitoring and working to address the problem of import of toys that do not meet BIS norms.
From January 1, 2021, the government made it mandatory for toys to conform with safety norms specified by the BIS, which is the national standard setting body.
In January this year, BIS director-general Pramod Kumar Tiwari had said the government has seized over 16,000 toys in the past one month from major retail stores, including Hamleys and Archies, that did not have the BIS quality mark.