A certificate of chemical analysis report (CAR) is one of several customs clearance documents that exporters of waste paper to India are required to submit before a shipment arrives at port. This is because scrap paper and scrap metal are classified as hazardous waste in India.
The CAR certificate along with a pre-shipment inspection certificate (PSIC) need to be issued by an inspection authority such as CWM that is recognised by India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and is present in the exporter’s country. Without these documents, a waste paper shipment risks being turned around at the port and returned to the exporter’s country.
What information goes on a CAR document?
A CAR certificate contains details of the exporter, importer and waste originator. It lists the shipment’s container numbers, the quantity of bales, the weight in metric tonnes, and the Harmonised System (HS) code of the waste paper. It certifies that these details are true and correct.
It also certifies that, after due chemical analysis, the material fits the internationally acceptable parameters for waste paper; that there’s no putrefiable organic matter; that the approximate content of non-paper material is no more than 1%; that the shipment contains no municipal solid waste, medical waste or what the exporter country would define as hazardous waste.
The agency also certifies that the waste paper originated from a dual stream source. Dual stream means they are separated recyclables which generally have less contamination and command higher prices.
What other customs clearance documents do I need?
Your CAR document needs to be accompanied by the PSIC and a certificate of origin (COO). The COO serves to confirm a product’s country of origin, in other words its ‘nationality’.
The information captured in a PSIC is almost identical to a Chemical Analysis Report. Only the manner of verification is different: one is based on inspection procedures, the other on due chemical analysis.
Indian customs want a hard copy CAR
Remember that Indian Customs require a hard copy of the CAR and the PSIC before the shipment arrives. Obtaining certification on or after arrival is not permitted. Rejected shipments are sent back to the exporter country, with the exporter bearing the costs.
How do I obtain a Certificate of Chemical Analysis Report and PSIC?
Exporters of waste paper and scrap metal to India should contact an authorised inspection agency before the shipment begins its journey – and be ready to supply the information and evidence needed for the agency to verify that the shipment is compliant. Inspection agencies have specific requirements regarding photographic evidence before they can issue a PSIC, for example. To avoid delays in obtaining customs clearance documentation, be sure that the agency has everything it needs in the requested format.
