Of high carbon steel

High-carbon non-alloy steel ingots in primary form

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7206 10 20 (high-carbon non-alloy steel ingots) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order under the Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024. Conformity to the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of S.O. 3716(E) is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 29 August 2024. Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) registration administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade applies as a separate customs-clearance overlay.

What this is

HSN code

7206 10 20

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS per Schedule 1 of S.O. 3716(E) · effective 29-08-2024

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

SIMSSIMS·Steel Import Monitoring System

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

Compliance steps

1
Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer whose licence covers the Indian Standard mapped to high-carbon non-alloy steel ingots in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024. Verify the CM/L number, licensed product scope, and manufacturing facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
2
Ensure every ingot consignment bears the standard mark under the supplier's CM/L licence and is accompanied by a test certificate bearing that standard mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer. Both the mark on the product and the test certificate per consignment are independently mandatory.
Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016
3
Register the consignment on the SIMS portal no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Fee ₹500; registration valid for 75 days from issue. The consignment must arrive within the registration validity window.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 72
4
For any consignment imported without BIS licence or certification, apply for a clarification on the TCQCO portal for each consignment as mandated, and ensure compliance with the CBIC clarification on the Ministry of Steel circular. Quote the CM/L number and SIMS registration number on the bill of entry; customs verifies both in real time.
Ministry of Steel Circular dated 20-10-2023 · CBIC clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023 · CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025
5
Confirm whether any SIMS exemption applies — re-imports for packaging only, or SEZ-to-DTA movements without value addition, are carved out from SIMS. Document the exemption basis in writing; the BIS QCO obligation under S.O. 3716(E) is not waived by any SIMS carve-out.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022

A word of counsel

The most frequent compliance failure on this tariff line is importing on the strength of a supplier's generic steel-mill CM/L licence without confirming that the licensed scope expressly covers high-carbon non-alloy steel ingots as specified in Schedule 1 of S.O. 3716(E). Sub-standard or defective steel not conforming to the notified standard must be disposed of as scrap under Section 17(1)(b) of the BIS Act, 2016 — re-export is not the default remedy, and the cost of scrapping high-carbon ingots at port, combined with demurrage and ground rent, is substantial. Scope-match the CM/L before order placement, not after the consignment arrives at the Indian port.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7206 10 20 require BIS certification?

Yes. High-carbon non-alloy steel ingots are covered by the Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024 (S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024); import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence against the Indian Standard specified in Schedule 1 of that order.

Is SIMS registration required in addition to BIS QCO compliance?

Yes. SIMS registration is administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade independently of the BIS QCO obligation; fee ₹500, validity 75 days, and application may be made no earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date.

What happens if the consignment is imported without a valid BIS CM/L licence?

The importer must apply for a clarification on the TCQCO portal for that consignment per the Ministry of Steel Circular dated 20-10-2023, as affirmed by CBIC clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III. Sub-standard product that does not conform to the notified standard must be disposed of as scrap, not re-exported.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all steel grades and ingot sizes from the same manufacturer?

No. A CM/L licence is scope-specific by Indian Standard, steel grade, product form, and manufacturing facility; ingots outside the licensed specification or from an unlicensed plant are not covered and are treated as uncertified on import.

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