Sheets

Hot-rolled flat sheets of iron or non-alloy steel, 3 mm to 4.75 mm thick

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7208 26 30 (hot-rolled flat sheets of iron or non-alloy steel, 3 mm to 4.75 mm thick) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 29 August 2024, by virtue of S.O. 3716(E). Steel Import Monitoring System registration administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade applies as a separate customs-clearance overlay.

What this is

HSN code

7208 26 30

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS mapped in 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 holding a current licence against the Indian Standard specified for this product in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, thickness range, and manufacturing facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
2
Ensure each sheet bears the ISI standard mark under a licence from Bureau of Indian Standards in accordance with Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Confirm that a test certificate bearing the standard mark and issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer accompanies each consignment.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
3
Verify whether the specific Schedule 1 serial number covering this product is among those whose enforcement has been deferred for three years from gazette publication under S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025. If the serial number is listed in S.O. 5134(E), document the deferral basis and file accordingly.
S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 · Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E)
4
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal, paying ₹500 registration fee. Apply no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival; the automatic registration number is valid for 75 days. Re-imports of steel for packaging only and SEZ-DTA movements without value addition are exempt from SIMS registration.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022
5
If importing without BIS licence or certification, apply on the TCQCO portal for each consignment as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023, and ensure compliance with the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023. Sub-standard or defective material that does not conform must be disposed of as scrap so as not to violate Section 17(1)(b) of the BIS Act, 2016.
Ministry of Steel Circular dated 20-10-2023 · CBIC clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023 · Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016 (11 of 2016)

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is failing to check whether the relevant Schedule 1 serial number is among those whose enforcement has been deferred by S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 — a three-year suspension that applies only to the listed serial numbers. Importers who assume a blanket deferral across all hot-rolled sheet products face detention when their specific serial number is not on the list; conversely, those who seek BIS CM/L compliance on a serial number that is deferred waste certification spend. Confirm the precise Schedule 1 entry for this thickness range before committing to either path.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7208 26 30 require BIS certification?

Yes. This tariff item falls under the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 (S.O. 3716(E)); conformity to the applicable Indian Standard in Schedule 1 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme from 29 August 2024, subject to any deferral applicable to the specific Schedule 1 serial number under S.O. 5134(E).

Is Steel Import Monitoring System registration required separately from BIS QCO compliance?

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

Does S.O. 5134(E) suspend the BIS QCO obligation for all hot-rolled sheets under HSN 7208 26 30?

No. S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 defers enforcement only for the specific Schedule 1 serial numbers listed therein for three years from gazette publication; the ISI Mark Scheme obligation under S.O. 3716(E) continues in full force for serial numbers not on the deferral list.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all thickness ranges and facilities of the manufacturer?

No. A CM/L licence is scope-specific by product specification, thickness range, and manufacturing facility; sheets outside the licensed scope or produced at an unlicensed plant are not covered and trigger consignment detention.

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