Plates

Hot-rolled flat steel plates of thickness exceeding 10 mm

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7208 36 10 (hot-rolled flat steel plates of thickness exceeding 10 mm) 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, pursuant to S.O. 3716(E). 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

7208 36 10

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 whose licence maps to the Indian Standard listed against this product in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024. Verify the 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 every consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the standard mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer, as required by Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024. The ISI mark must appear on the plates themselves, not only on packaging.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
3
If your consignment lacks BIS certification, apply and obtain clarification on the TCQCO portal before importation. This is mandatory for every steel consignment imported without a BIS licence under the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023, and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs has confirmed this requirement.
Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023, F.No. S-20011/14/2021-Tech · CBIC clarification F.No. 401/88/23-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023
4
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal before shipment. Fee ₹500; apply no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival; registration valid for 75 days. The minimum 15-day advance registration requirement has been abolished. SIMS registration is not required for re-imports for packaging only or for SEZ-DTA movements.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · DGFT Notification 19/2015-20 dated 07-07-2022 · DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022
5
If importing seconds or defective HR plates, comply with the applicable value restriction, port restriction, and Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirement. Quote the BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry; absent, expired, or scope-mismatched entries on either portal trigger consignment detention.
ITC (HS) Import Policy conditions 1, 2, and 3 of Chapter 72 · Madras High Court order dated 21-01-2004 in W.P. Nos. 38864 and 38865 of 2003

A word of counsel

The most consequential trap on this tariff line is the deferred-enforcement carve-out under S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025, which suspends the IS obligation for specified serial numbers in Schedule 1 for three years from gazette publication — but only those serial numbers. Importers routinely assume the deferral covers their specific product when it does not, arriving at port without a valid CM/L and facing detention under the Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024. Confirm in writing, against the Schedule 1 serial number that maps to your plate specification, whether your product falls within or outside the S.O. 5134(E) deferral list before contracting the consignment.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7208 36 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Hot-rolled flat steel plates of thickness exceeding 10 mm fall within Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 (S.O. 3716(E)); import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence against the mapped Indian Standard, with effect from 29 August 2024.

Is SIMS registration required in addition to BIS QCO compliance?

Yes. Steel Import Monitoring System registration is administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade independently of the BIS obligation. Fee ₹500, validity 75 days; re-imports for packaging only and qualifying SEZ-DTA movements are exempt per DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20.

Does the S.O. 5134(E) deferral apply to this product?

Only if the Schedule 1 serial number mapping to this plate specification is listed in S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025. The deferral is serial-number-specific; products whose serial numbers are not listed remain subject to immediate enforcement from 29 August 2024.

Does one CM/L licence cover all plate thicknesses and manufacturing facilities?

No. A CM/L licence is scope-specific by product specification, thickness range, and manufacturing facility; plates outside the licensed scope or from an unlicensed plant are not covered and will be detained at customs.

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