Sheets

Hot-rolled flat steel sheets of thickness exceeding 10 mm

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7208 36 30 (hot-rolled flat steel sheets 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, 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 36 30

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 holding a current licence against the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024. Verify the CM/L number, product scope, and licensed 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 ISI standard mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer. Each sheet must itself bear the standard mark under the supplier's CM/L licence.
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
3
Before importing, check whether the specific Schedule 1 serial number covering this product falls within the deferred-enforcement list under S.O. 5134(E). Serial numbers listed in that notification are suspended for 3 years from its gazette date; confirm the product's serial number is not among the 42 deferred entries.
S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025
4
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal no earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date. Fee ₹500, registration valid 75 days; quote the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry alongside the supplier's BIS CM/L number.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 72
5
If the consignment is imported without BIS licence or certification, apply for a clarification on the TCQCO portal before customs clearance, as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023. Ensure concurrent compliance with the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs clarification on that circular.
Ministry of Steel Circular dated 20-10-2023 · CBIC clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023

A word of counsel

The most common oversight on this tariff line is failing to cross-check the product's Schedule 1 serial number against the S.O. 5134(E) deferral list before committing to a BIS-certified source. Importers who proceed on the assumption that the enforcement date of 29 August 2024 is universally operative — without verifying whether their specific product serial number is among the 42 deferred entries — either incur unnecessary certification cost on deferred lines or, conversely, import uncertified goods on a line that is actively enforced, triggering detention and mandatory disposal as scrap under Section 17(1)(b) of the BIS Act, 2016.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7208 36 30 require BIS certification?

Yes. Hot-rolled flat steel sheets of thickness exceeding 10 mm fall within Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 and require conformity to the mapped Indian Standard under the ISI Mark Scheme from 29 August 2024, subject to the deferral check under S.O. 5134(E).

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

Yes. SIMS registration is a separate customs-clearance overlay administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade; fee ₹500, valid 75 days, apply no earlier than 60 days before expected arrival. It does not substitute for BIS CM/L compliance.

Does S.O. 5134(E) suspend BIS enforcement for this product?

Only if the specific Schedule 1 serial number covering this HSN is among the 42 listed entries in S.O. 5134(E); those entries are suspended for 3 years from 20 November 2025. Verify the product's serial number in Schedule 1 before concluding enforcement status.

What happens to sub-standard or non-conforming steel consignments at port?

Under the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024, sub-standard or defective product that does not conform to the specified Indian Standard must be disposed of as scrap in a manner that precludes violation of Section 17(1)(b) of the BIS Act, 2016; re-export or commercial resale is not permitted.

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