They said that this is part of plans to implement port-based checks on imports of steel where each shipment will be tested for quality and material not compliant with mandatory standards laid down by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will not be accorded customs clearance.
The sources said that laboratories are being proposed to be set up at each of the ports which has been seeing surge in imports like JNPT where steel imports increased 40 percent during April-October period of fiscal 2023-24, over corresponding period of previous fiscal.
Steel shipments will be randomly tested for quality standards and act as a barrier for mis-classification or mis-declaration of consignments by importers and port-based scrutiny is expected to be an effective check to rising imports, the sources said.
