New Delhi, Mar 13 (KNN) The Southern India Mills' Association (SIMA) on Tuesday welcomed the government's decision to remove mandatory Quality Control Orders (QCOs) for the import of viscose staple fibre under the Advance Authorisation Scheme.

This move is expected to help the textile and apparel sectors meet their export targets, reported TH.

In a press release, SIMA chairman S.K. Sundararaman stated that a notification issued on Monday by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) permitted the import of viscose staple fibre without the Bureau of Indian Standards' QCOs under the Advance Authorisation Scheme.

This exemption, in addition to allowing imports by Export Oriented Units and Special Economic Zone units, will enable exporters to cater to the needs of international buyers more effectively.

Sundararaman expressed gratitude to the Union Textile Minister for ‘understanding the industry-oriented difficulties of both the producers and users of viscose staple fibre.’

He commended the government for taking a balanced view and suitably modifying the applicability of BIS provisions for imports under the Advance Authorisation Scheme, creating a ‘win-win strategy for both the VSF producers and users.’

The SIMA chairman further emphasised the need for a similar exemption notification for polyester fibre and its raw material products, which are subject to a QCO issued by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

He stated that such an exemption is essential to enable the growth of the synthetic fibre sector, as polyester is considered the future growth engine for the Indian textiles and clothing industry.

The removal of QCOs for viscose imports under the Advance Authorisation Scheme is expected to provide relief to exporters by ensuring a steady supply of raw materials and enabling them to meet the quality requirements of international buyers more effectively.

(KNN bureau)