New Delhi, Feb. 17 -- The government has granted a conditional exemption from mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) compliance for select imported goods shipped before the implementation of various quality control orders (QCOs), offering relief to consignments at risk of being held up at Indian ports.

The move is expected to help downstream industries ramp up production and could also benefit manufacturers in China, which remains a key supplier in several affected categories.

According to a department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) order reviewed by Mint, imports covered under specified QCOs can be cleared without BIS certification if they were shipped before the respective implementation dates and the bill of...