The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has decided to issue conditional temporary clearance for industrial raw materials at ports to facilitate service delivery and address penalties faced by businesses during customs clearance. This decision, announced in a press release on Wednesday, aims to simplify the process for raw material importers.

According to the statement, the government has mandated standards certification for 299 products through periodic SROs, with 79 of these requiring BSTI clearance before customs assessment. Since industrial raw materials are not directly sold or distributed in the market, BSTI has decided to provide temporary clearance under specific conditions to streamline the release process at ports.

These conditions include: submission of evidence by the importer proving the materials are intended for industrial use, along with the address of storage facilities; application submission to the respective BSTI office at the port of entry; payment of non-refundable clearance fees; and providing sealed samples for testing at BSTI laboratories. Temporary clearance will be granted once these conditions are met. Final clearance will only be issued after testing confirms compliance with Bangladesh Standards (BDS).

If the materials are used, distributed, or sold before receiving final clearance, or if they are not kept intact in warehouses, BSTI will take legal action. Additionally, the importer may lose eligibility for temporary clearance in the future.