Plastic insulated
Plastic insulated electric cables and wires, other than telecommunication grade
HSN 8544 49 20 (plastic insulated electric cables, other than telecommunication grade) is covered by multiple Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Orders. Conformity to IS 1554, IS 694, IS 7098, IS 17048, IS 2593, IS 5950, IS 17293:2020, and IS 17505 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme, with enforcement dates from 17 February 2003 under S.O. 189(E), 21 January 2020 under S.O. 294(E), and 26 February 2024 under S.O. 3807(E) depending on cable type. Directorate General of Foreign Trade policy controls on copper-product TRQ allocations and Sri Lanka ISFTA port restrictions apply as separate customs-clearance overlays.
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
- 1Identify the correct Indian Standard for the cable type before sourcing: IS 694 for PVC insulated cables up to 1100 V; IS 1554 (Part 1):1988 for PVC insulated heavy-duty cables up to 1100 V and IS 1554 (Part 2):1988 for 3.3 kV–11 kV; IS 7098 (Part 1):1988 for XLPE cables up to 1100 V, IS 7098 (Part 2):2011 for 3.3 kV–33 kV, and IS 7098 (Part 3):1993 for 66 kV–220 kV; IS 17048:2018 for halogen-free flame-retardant cables; IS 2593:1984 for miners cap-lamp cables; IS 5950:1984 for shot-firing cables; IS 17293:2020 for solar DC cables; and IS 17505 (Part 1):2021 for fire survival 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; Solar DC Cable and Fire Survival Cable (Quality Control) Order, 2023 · S.O. 3807(E) dated 24-08-2023
- 2Verify the foreign manufacturer's BIS CM/L licence on the BIS online register against the specific IS number, part number, voltage class, and cable construction that match the consignment. The CM/L must cover the precise product scope and manufacturing facility; a licence for one part or voltage range does not extend to others.Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018; Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 294(E) dated 21-01-2020
- 3Ensure every drum, reel, or cable length in the consignment bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number traceable to the licensed IS, part, and facility. Marking must appear on the product itself; marking only on packaging does not satisfy the QCO requirement.Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018; BIS Act, 2016
- 4If the goods originate in Sri Lanka and are imported under the India–Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement, route the consignment only through the specified ports listed under policy condition 2 of Chapter 85. If the consignment involves copper-product TRQ allocations under the India–Nepal Treaty, ensure the DGFT TRQ allocation is in hand before shipment.ITC (HS) Import Policy, Chapter 85, Policy Condition 2; DGFT Public Notice 17/2023 dated 22-06-2023
- 5Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the applicable IS reference (including part number and version year) on the bill of entry. Customs verifies CM/L validity and product-scope coverage in real time against the BIS register; a lapsed, scope-mismatched, or wrong-part CM/L triggers consignment detention.BIS Act, 2016; Customs Act, 1962; Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 294(E) dated 21-01-2020
The single most common error on this tariff line is presenting a CM/L licence for the correct IS number but the wrong part or voltage class — for example, a CM/L covering IS 1554 (Part 1) up to 1100 V applied to a consignment of IS 1554 (Part 2) cables rated at 6.6 kV. Each IS part and voltage band requires its own, separately scoped CM/L; customs officers verify the product's rated voltage against the licence scope at port, and a mismatch triggers detention regardless of whether the manufacturer holds other BIS licences.