Steam coal

Steam coal for energy and industrial use

CIMS CLEARANCE

HSN 2701 19 20 (Steam coal) is governed by compulsory pre-shipment registration under the Coal Import Monitoring System (CIMS) administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with import permitted on a Free basis subject to policy condition no. 7 of Chapter 27. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) additionally mandates submission of specified additional qualifiers in import declarations for coking and non-coking coal under Chapter 2701, with effect from 15 December 2024.

What this is

HSN code

2701 19 20

Chapter

27 · Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes

Primary regulator

CIMS · ITC (HS) policy condition no. 7, Chapter 27 (Coal Import Monitoring System)

Customs documentation

CIMS registration from DGFT
Chapter 27 policy condition declaration from DGFT
Additional qualifiers declaration from CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

CIMSCIMS·Chip Import Monitoring System

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Complete online pre-shipment registration on the Coal Import Monitoring System portal before the bill of entry is filed. Registration is mandatory for all steam coal imports and is a precondition to Free-import status under policy condition no. 7 of Chapter 27.
DGFT Notification 49/15-20 dated 22-12-2020 · DGFT Notification 34/2023 dated 04-10-2023 · DGFT Notification 56/15-20 dated 28-01-2021
2
Ensure the import declaration includes the mandatory additional qualifiers for non-coking coal (which includes steam coal) under Chapter 2701, as required with effect from 15 December 2024. Non-submission of these qualifiers renders the bill of entry non-compliant and risks out-of-charge denial.
CBIC Circular 24/2024-Cus dated 20-11-2024

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is filing the bill of entry without a valid CIMS registration number — either because registration lapsed between shipments or because the importer treated CIMS as a one-time formality rather than a per-consignment pre-shipment requirement. A consignment arriving without current CIMS registration is not eligible for out-of-charge even where duty is paid in full; detention and demurrage accrue until DGFT registration compliance is established.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 2701 19 20 require BIS certification?

No. Steam coal is not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed instead by compulsory registration under the Coal Import Monitoring System administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with policy condition no. 7 of Chapter 27 as the operative ITC (HS) control.

When did the CIMS registration requirement take effect, and where is online registration completed?

CIMS became effective from 1 April 2021; online registration was made available from 15 February 2021 per DGFT Notification 56/15-20 dated 28-01-2021. Registration is completed on the DGFT CIMS portal before each consignment is shipped.

What are the additional qualifiers required under CBIC Circular 24/2024-Cus, and what happens if they are omitted?

CBIC Circular 24/2024-Cus dated 20-11-2024 prescribes mandatory additional qualifiers in import declarations for coking and non-coking coal under Chapter 2701, operative from 15 December 2024; omission results in a deficient declaration and exposes the consignment to detention at the port of import.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: CIMS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.