Empty or discharged cartridges of all bores and sizes

Stainless steel scrap, empty or discharged cartridges

SIMS CLEARANCE

HSN 7204 21 10 (Empty or discharged cartridges of stainless steel) is subject to compulsory advance registration under the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under DGFT Notification 33/2015-20, and clearance is restricted to specified ports subject to the conditions in Para 2.54 of the Handbook of Procedures. A Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate (PSIC) from a DGFT-recognised Pre-Shipment Inspection Agency (PSIA) and compliance with the Hazardous Waste (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 apply as additional clearance requirements.

What this is

HSN code

7204 21 10

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

Primary regulator

SIMS · DGFT Notification 33/2015-20; ITC (HS) policy, Chapter 72

Customs documentation

SIMS registration number from DGFT
Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from PSIA
Hazardous waste forms from CPCB

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

SIMSSIMS·Steel 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
Register the consignment in the SIMS online module on the DGFT website, paying the ₹500 registration fee. Apply no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival; the automatic registration number is valid for 75 days. All PSICs must be generated online through DGFT systems — PSICs dated on or after 1 July 2022 not so generated will not be accepted by Indian Customs.
DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Trade Notice 03/2022-23 dated 26-04-2022; Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 72
2
Obtain a PSIC from a DGFT-recognised PSIA and upload it in e-Sanchit under document code 856001 before filing the bill of entry. Verify that the place of inspection shown on the PSIC is not in the UAE if UAE has banned export of the specific ferrous scrap — a PSIC citing UAE inspection for a UAE-banned item is treated as a mis-declaration and the PSIC is invalid.
DGFT O.M. F.No.01/53/8/E/AM24/PSIC/ImportCell/918 dated 13-06-2023 · CBIC O.M. 450/148/2009-Cus-IV dated 09-06-2023 · DGFT Public Notice 64/2015-20 dated 19-02-2020
3
Confirm compliance with Para 8(b) of the General Notes of the ITC (HS) Import Policy and Rules 11, 12 and 13 of the Hazardous Waste (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016, including valid Forms 2, 6, 7 and 9. Consignments must also pass random radioactive-contamination checks per the SOP in the Annexure to DGFT Public Notice 37/2015-20 dated 15-11-2021.
Hazardous Waste (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 (Rules 11, 12 & 13, Schedules III, VI and VIII) · DGFT Public Notice 37/2015-20 dated 15-11-2021

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is submitting a PSIC issued by a PSIA whose place of inspection is listed as the UAE after the UAE export ban on ferrous scrap — customs authorities treat such a certificate as evidence of mis-declaration, rendering the entire PSIC invalid and exposing the consignment to detention and confiscation proceedings. Verify the PSIA's inspection jurisdiction against the current UAE export-ban list before shipment; a PSIC defect cannot be rectified after the vessel has sailed, and SIMS registration does not substitute for a valid PSIC.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7204 21 10 require BIS certification?

No, stainless steel scrap and empty cartridges are not within the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the Steel Import Monitoring System under DGFT Notification 33/2015-20, with a mandatory PSIC and compliance with the Hazardous Waste (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.

Is the 15-day advance SIMS registration requirement still in force for this tariff line?

No. The minimum 15-day advance registration requirement has been abolished by DGFT Notification 19/2015-20 dated 07-07-2022; importers may now apply up to 60 days before the expected date of arrival and the registration number remains valid for 75 days per DGFT Notification 28/2023.

Does the SIMS registration requirement apply if stainless steel scrap is re-imported from a Special Economic Zone or re-imported for packaging purposes?

No. Per DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022, re-imports of steel for packaging purposes and movements from a DTA to SEZ and back — whether with or without value addition — are excluded from the SIMS registration requirement.

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