Plastic insulated
Plastic insulated wires and cables (PVC, XLPE, HFFR cables)
HSN 8544 19 20 (plastic insulated wires and cables, other than winding wire) is covered by two Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Orders. Conformity to IS 1554, IS 17048, IS 5950, IS 7098, IS 2593, and IS 694 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme, with the Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020 effective from 21 January 2020 and the Electrical Wires, Cables, Appliances and Protection Devices and Accessories (Quality Control) Order, 2003 running concurrently. Directorate General of Foreign Trade policy controls, including tariff-rate quota allocation for copper products under the India-Nepal treaty, apply as separate customs-clearance overlays.
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
- 1Identify the precise cable type and voltage range in the consignment, then verify the foreign manufacturer's BIS CM/L licence on the BIS online register against the applicable standard: IS 1554 (Part 1):1988 for PVC-insulated cables up to 1100 V, IS 1554 (Part 2):1988 for 3.3 kV to 11 kV, IS 7098 (Part 1):1988 for XLPE cables up to 1100 V, IS 7098 (Part 2):2011 for 3.3 kV to 33 kV, IS 7098 (Part 3):1993 for 66 kV to 220 kV, IS 17048:2018 for HFFR cables up to 1100 V, IS 694 for PVC-insulated cables up to 1100 V (domestic wiring category), IS 2593:1984 for miners cap lamp flexible cables, or IS 5950:1984 for shot firing cables.Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 294(E) dated 21-01-2020; Electrical Wires, Cables, Appliances and Protection Devices and Accessories (Quality Control) Order, 2003 · S.O. 189(E) dated 17-02-2003
- 2Confirm that the licensed CM/L scope covers the exact voltage grade, insulation type, and manufacturing facility for each cable type in the shipment. A CM/L covering IS 1554 (Part 1) does not automatically authorise import of cables governed by IS 7098 or IS 694; each standard and part requires its own licence coverage.Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 294(E) dated 21-01-2020; BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Scheme-I
- 3Ensure every cable drum or reel bears the ISI mark, the supplier's CM/L number, and markings traceable to the licensed manufacturing facility per Scheme-I of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the cable itself at regular intervals, not solely on the packaging.BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Scheme-I marking format; Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 294(E) dated 21-01-2020
- 4Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number, the applicable IS standard and part number, and the voltage grade on the bill of entry. Customs verifies the CM/L in real time against the BIS register; a licence that is absent, expired, scope-mismatched by voltage grade, or covering a different manufacturing facility triggers consignment detention.Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 294(E) dated 21-01-2020; BIS Act, 2016; Customs Act, 1962
- 5If the consignment comprises copper-conductor cables originating from Nepal and falls within the 10,000 MT tariff-rate quota for copper products under CTH 8544, obtain the Directorate General of Foreign Trade TRQ allocation before importation under the revised India-Nepal treaty procedure.DGFT Public Notice 17/2023 dated 22-06-2023 · para 2.92 of the Handbook of Procedures, 2023
The single most common failure on this tariff line is treating the multiple applicable IS standards as interchangeable and sourcing from a manufacturer whose CM/L covers only one voltage grade or one standard, then importing cable variants that fall outside that licensed scope. IS 1554, IS 7098, IS 17048, IS 694, IS 2593, and IS 5950 are distinct standards with distinct licensing requirements; a CM/L against IS 694 does not authorise import of XLPE cables governed by IS 7098, and a Part 1 licence does not extend to Part 2 or Part 3 voltage grades. Customs examination at port will compare each cable type on the invoice against the specific IS standard and part number on the CM/L, and any mismatch — even one cable type in a mixed shipment — triggers detention of the entire consignment.