Other
Synthetic fibre ropes, cordage and twine (polyethylene, polypropylene, rope gabions, webbing slings)
HSN 5607 49 00 (synthetic fibre ropes, cordage and twine) is covered by Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Orders. Conformity to the applicable Indian Standard — IS 1084, IS 11066, IS 4572, IS 5175, IS 8674, IS 14929, IS 17609, IS 17880, IS 15041, and allied standards — is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 03 October 2024 under the Geotextiles, Indutech and Ropes and Cordages QCOs notified at S.O. 4332(E), S.O. 4326(E) and S.O. 4327(E). A Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate for absence of prohibited azo dyes, administered under Directorate General of Foreign Trade policy, applies as a separate customs-clearance overlay.
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
- 1Identify the precise product type and match it to the governing Indian Standard before placing the purchase order: IS 1084:2005 for manila ropes; IS 11066:2022 for polyester strand ropes; IS 4572:2022 for polyamide strand ropes; IS 5175:2022 for polypropylene ropes; IS 8674:2013 for polyethylene strand ropes; IS 14929:2022 for mixed polyolefin ropes; IS 17609:2021 for polyester/polyolefin dual-fibre ropes; IS 17880:2022 for synthetic polymer rope gabions; IS 15041:2001 for flat woven webbing slings.Geotextiles, Indutech and Ropes and Cordages QCOs · S.O. 4332(E), S.O. 4326(E) and S.O. 4327(E) all dated 03-10-2024
- 2Verify the foreign manufacturer's BIS CM/L licence on the BIS online register against the specific IS number governing the consignment's product type and construction. The licence must cover the relevant fibre composition, strand construction, and manufacturing facility; a licence for one rope type does not extend to another.Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · S.O. 4332(E), S.O. 4326(E) and S.O. 4327(E) dated 03-10-2024
- 3Ensure every rope, twine, or sling in the consignment bears the ISI mark and the CM/L licence number, traceable to the licensed manufacturing facility and product scope. Marking must appear on the product or its immediate packaging in accordance with the applicable Indian Standard.Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · BIS Act, 2016
- 4Obtain a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from an accredited laboratory in the exporting country certifying absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes. Imports from the European Union, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom are exempt from azo dye testing but the PSIC requirement for composition certification still applies.General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
- 5Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L licence number and the IS reference on the bill of entry, accompanied by the PSIC. Note that IS 15041:2001 for flat woven webbing slings enters into force on 01-04-2025 for all importers except small and micro enterprises (domestic production only), for whom the date is 01-07-2025; consignments arriving before those dates must still comply with all other applicable IS standards.S.O. 4332(E) dated 03-10-2024 · Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 (27 of 2006) · Customs Act, 1962
The single most common error on this tariff line is treating the eleven applicable Indian Standards as interchangeable and sourcing from a manufacturer licensed under one IS while shipping a product governed by a different IS — for example, importing polypropylene split-film rope from a facility whose CM/L covers only polyamide strand rope under IS 4572. Customs verifies the CM/L scope against the declared product specification in real time; a construction-class or fibre-composition mismatch triggers consignment detention regardless of whether any IS licence is held at all. Each rope type, fibre construction, and strand count must be independently validated against the corresponding IS before the purchase order is placed.