Cement export to India: exporters seek international firms to conduct quality check

Pakistani manufacturers want quality inspection of cement, being exported to India, by international firms as the delay in the issuance of license by Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) is hurting cement export.
Sources in the cement sector told Business Recorder on Thursday that recently representatives of Pakistan cement industry had approached BIS officials for issuance of quality certificates/licenses to Pakistani cement units, as their certificates had expired and were renewed by Indian authorities for last one and a half years. Now, these units are unable to export cement to India as the BIS license was necessary.
"BIS licenses are valid for two years, issued after their visit to factories and carrying out lab tests to ensure that cement exported to India complied with their standards," they said. However, on security grounds BIS team has not yet visited these four Pakistani cement factories to issue licenses for export of cement to India, despite the fact that the visit was due one and half years back. In order to resolve this issue, Pakistani cement industry has repeatedly asked the Indian authorities to simplify the process and certificate/license once issued should be considered valid. However, the Indians are using delaying tactics and are not coming to inspect the Pakistani cement manufacturing units, sources said.
Aizaz Mansoor Sheikh, Chairman All Pakistan Cement Manufactures Association (APCMA), has written a letter to Shri Sharad Gupta, Director General Bureau of Indian Standard and suggested that inspection of Pakistani cement units should be conducted through international firms for BIS license.
"Cement industry of Pakistan is exporting cement to India via land and sea route since 2007 after obtaining certification from BIS, however Pakistan did not get any landmark achievement yet in exports of cement/clinker to India mainly due to non-tariff barriers and non-issuance of BIS license to Pakistani manufacturers, Chairman APCMA said in his letter to BIS."
Four manufacturers namely Attock Cement Pakistan Limited, Cherat Cement Company Limited, Dera Ghazi Khan Cement Company Limited and Kohat Cement Company Limited are awaiting BIS officials' visit and subsequent renewal of certificates, he added. "It is suggested that BIS certificates once issued should be considered valid and BIS may conduct quality inspection engaging any international inspection firm operating in Pakistan such as Moody's International, SGS, etc, to ensure that quality has not been deteriorated," he said. "Pakistani cement Manufacturers have been continuously co-ordinating with BIS officials by writing letters for issuance of license but their requests have not year been entertained," the chairman said.
Sources said due to delay of BIS certification, Pakistan's export to India is on slow track and the country could exported 590,178 tons cement to India during July-May of FY12 compared to 590,104 tons in the corresponding period of last fiscal year, witnessing a slight increase of 74 tons only.