India notifies WTO of Quality Control Orders for 8 substances
On 13 September 2023, the Indian Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of Quality Control Orders (QCOs) for eight substances. The final day for comments is 60 days from the notification.
Substances included in the QCOs
The table below lists the eight substances included in the notified QCOs. There are six chemicals, one insecticide, and one fungicide. The locally manufactured or imported quantities of the substances specified in column 1 of the table must comply with the corresponding Indian Standard listed in column 2 bearing the title of the Indian Standard listed in column 3. The substances must bear the Standard Mark under a licence from the Bureau of Indian Standards in accordance with Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the Bureau of Indian Standards (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. The use of standard mark is governed by the provisions of Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 and the Rules and Regulations made thereunder.
The QCOs do not apply goods or articles meant for export.
| 1. Name | 2. Indian Standard | 3. Title of Indian Standard |
| Anhydrous Ammonia | IS 662:2020 | Anhydrous Ammonia — Specification |
| Ethylene Oxide | IS 5573:1984 | Specification for Ethylene Oxide |
| Industrial Grade Urea(Technical grade Urea) | IS 1781:2022 | Urea, Technical — Specification |
| Toluene diisocynate(TDI-80) | IS 17916:2022 | Toluene Diisocyanate (TDI-80) -Specification |
| Calcined alumina | IS 17441 (Part1): 2021 | Calcined Alumina – Specification(Part 1 non-metallurgical grade) |
| Sodium cyanide | IS 11782: 1986(Reaffirmed 2020) | Specification for Sodium Cyanide,Technical |
| Monocrotophos | IS 8025:1990 | Monocrotophos, Technical – Specification |
| IS 8074:1990 | Monocrotophos SL – Specification | |
| Captafol | IS 10300: 2023 | Captafol Technical – Specification |
Timeline
The date of adoption of the 8 QCOs is yet to be determined. The QCOs will enter into force 6 months after the date of publication in the Official Gazette.
Areas of use
The table below shows the various applications and areas of use for the eight substances that are included in the notified QCOs.
| Name | Use |
| Anhydrous Ammonia | Anhydrous ammonia is an efficient and widely used source of nitrogen fertilizer. It is relatively easy to apply and is readily available to producers. When used as an agricultural fertilizer, NH3 is compressed into a liquid. |
| Ethylene Oxide | Ethylene oxide is used in organic synthesis, especially in the production of ethylene glycol. It forms the starting material for the manufacture of acrylonitrile and non-ionic surfactants. It is also used as a fumigant for foodstuffs and in the textiles and pharmaceutical industry. |
| Industrial Grade Urea | Industrial Grade Urea is used in the production of watersoluble fertilizers, in the dye and pigment industries, and as cattle feed. It is also used in the production of urea formaldehyde resin, diesel exhaust fluid for pollution abatement, plywood, and in adhesive industries. |
| Toluene diisocynate | Toluene diisocyanate is used as a chemical intermediate in the production of polyurethane foams, in paints, varnishes, wire enamels, sealants, adhesives, binders as well as elastomers and coatings. It is also used as a cross-linking agent in the manufacture of nylon polymers. |
| Calcined alumina | Calcined alumina is used in the manufacture of high-grade ceramic shapes, refractories, and fused alumina abrasives. It also has a variety of industrial applications including structural ceramics, technical ceramics, polishing compounds for plastic, metal, and glass, fillers for rubber and plastics, friction-anti slip, refractories, paint & coatings as well as thermal spray powders. |
| Sodium cyanide | Sodium cyanide finds extensive use in the extraction of gold and silver from ores, in ore floatation process, pharmaceuticals and complexing agents, synthesis of intermediate compounds for preparation of hydrocyanic acid, heat treatment salts, preparation of metallic salts, etc. Sodium cyanide is also used as insecticides/weedicides, in the preparation of cyanuric chloride, cleaning of metals, as fumigant, and in the manufacture of dyes and pigments and nylon intermediate. |
| Monocrotophos | Monocrotophos is a systemic as well as contact insecticide and employed in the preparation of pesticidal formulations for the control of insect and acarine pests of agricultural crops. It exists in two isomeric forms, namely, cis isomer and trans isomer, however, only the cis isomer is effective. |
| Captafol | Captafol is a fungicide. It is used to control almost all fungal diseases of plants except powdery mildews. It is also used to control certain seed-and soil-borne organisms. |
