Pre-shipment inspection now applies to steel and aluminium imports
A certificate from a DGFT-empanelled agency, three to five days of lead time and a per-shipment cost. If you import steel or aluminium into Punjab, this one is yours.
If you import steel or aluminium, there is now a document you need before the goods leave the supplier, not after they arrive. Steel products under HS headings 7206 to 7326, aluminium and aluminium alloys under 7601 to 7616, and certain consumer electronics under 8517 and 8525 require a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate issued by a DGFT-empanelled agency.
For Ludhiana in particular this matters. A large share of what moves through this city is engineering goods, fasteners, bicycle components and machinery — and the raw material behind a lot of it sits squarely inside those headings.
What it costs and how long it takes
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Who issues it | DGFT-empanelled agencies — SGS, Bureau Veritas, TÜV SÜD and others on the empanelled list |
| Typical cost | Around ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per shipment |
| Lead time | Roughly three to five days to process |
| When | Before shipment — it is a pre-shipment inspection |
The cost is per shipment, not per tonne. On a small consignment it is a meaningful percentage of the landed cost, which is an argument for consolidating orders rather than shipping little and often.
The mistake to avoid
The expensive version of this is discovering the requirement after the container has sailed. An inspection certificate cannot be obtained retrospectively for goods already on the water — the entire point is that the inspection happens at origin, before loading.
A consignment that arrives without one is not a paperwork problem you resolve at the port over a couple of days. It is a serious problem, and the container is accruing demurrage the whole time.
Confirm the HS code before you place the order, not before you ship. The classification decides whether PSIC applies, and by the time the goods are packed it is already too late to arrange an origin inspection cleanly.
What to change in your process
- Settle the HS code at the quotation stage and check it against the current PSIC list.
- If it applies, write the inspection into the purchase order so the supplier expects it.
- Book the empanelled agency early — three to five days is the processing time, not the time from your phone call.
- Build the lead time into your production planning rather than absorbing it as a delay.
- Keep the certificate with your filing set so it is available to the broker up front.
Classification is doing more work than it used to. It has always decided your duty rate; increasingly it also decides which permissions and inspections you need. Our customs clearance team handles this end of it, and getting the code confirmed early is free.
Questions we are getting
Which goods need a PSIC in India?
Steel products under HS headings 7206 to 7326, aluminium and aluminium alloys under 7601 to 7616, and certain consumer electronics under headings 8517 and 8525. Check the current DGFT list against your specific classification, as coverage is defined by HS code.
How much does a pre-shipment inspection certificate cost?
Typically around fifteen to twenty-five thousand rupees per shipment from a DGFT-empanelled agency such as SGS, Bureau Veritas or TUV SUD, with roughly three to five days of processing time.
Can I get a PSIC after the goods have shipped?
No. The inspection takes place at origin before loading, which is the entire purpose of it. Discovering the requirement after sailing is a serious problem, not a paperwork delay.