Non-alloy pig iron containing by weight more than 0.5% of phosphorus

Non-alloy pig iron with high phosphorus content

SIMS CLEARANCE

HSN 7201 20 00 (Non-alloy pig iron containing more than 0.5% phosphorus by weight) is subject to compulsory advance registration under the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 72. Importers must obtain an automatic SIMS registration number before the consignment arrives, with a registration fee of ₹500 and a validity window of 75 days.

What this is

HSN code

7201 20 00

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

Primary regulator

SIMS · DGFT Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 72; DGFT Notification 33/2015-20

Customs documentation

SIMS registration number from DGFT
ITC (HS) policy declaration to CBIC

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

SIMSSIMS·Steel Import Monitoring System

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps

1
Register the import on the SIMS online portal and pay the registration fee of ₹500 to obtain the automatic SIMS registration number. The application may be filed no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival; registration is valid for 75 days from the date of grant.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · Policy Condition 5, Chapter 72
2
Present the SIMS automatic registration number at the bill-of-entry stage. Consignments without a valid registration number are not eligible for customs out-of-charge; note that the earlier mandatory 15-day advance-registration requirement has been abolished.
DGFT Notification 19/2015-20 dated 07-07-2022 · Policy Condition 5, Chapter 72

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is misapplying the SIMS carve-outs: steel re-imported solely for packaging purposes and steel transferred between the Domestic Tariff Area and a Special Economic Zone (with or without value addition) are exempt from SIMS registration, but the exemption must be documented at the bill-of-entry stage. An importer who relies on a carve-out without contemporaneous evidence — purchase order scope, SEZ-to-DTA transfer documentation — faces customs detention and a mandatory SIMS registration demand before out-of-charge is granted.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7201 20 00 require BIS certification?

No. No BIS Quality Control Order covers non-alloy pig iron under this tariff line. Import is governed by compulsory registration under the Steel Import Monitoring System administered by DGFT under Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 72 and DGFT Notification 33/2015-20.

How long is the SIMS registration number valid, and when is the earliest it can be obtained?

The automatic SIMS registration number is valid for 75 days from the date of grant. An application may be filed no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival of the import consignment, per DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023.

Are all pig-iron imports covered by SIMS, or do carve-outs apply?

Steel re-imported for packaging purposes only (not primarily for value addition) and steel moved between the DTA and SEZ — whether with or without value addition — are exempt from SIMS registration, per DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022.

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