Strip

Hot-rolled flat steel strip, 4.75 mm to 10 mm thick

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7208 37 40 (hot-rolled flat steel strip of 4.75 mm to 10 mm thickness) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 2062 and IS 1079 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme by virtue of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 (S.O. 3716(E)) with effect from 29 August 2024. 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 37 40

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 2062 / IS 1079 · 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 IS 2062 or IS 1079:2017, as applicable to the grade being imported. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, grade coverage, 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 consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the standard mark, issued by the BIS-licensed manufacturer. The test certificate must be traceable to the licensed facility and cover the specific grade, thickness, and width of the strip supplied.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
3
Ensure every coil or strip bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number in accordance with Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the product or be affixed in a manner traceable to the consignment.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
4
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date. Registration fee is ₹500; the automatic registration number is valid for 75 days. Re-imports for packaging only and SEZ-to-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 the consignment is imported without BIS licence or certification, apply for clarification on the TCQCO portal before the consignment arrives, as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023. Customs verifies compliance against the portal; absence of clarification or documentation triggers detention. Also ensure compliance with CBIC clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023 on that circular.
Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023 (F.No. S-20011/14/2021-Tech) · CBIC clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is assuming a CM/L licence held against IS 2062 automatically covers all grades and thickness ranges within the licensed mill's output. A CM/L licence is grade-specific and facility-specific; importing strip to a grade or from a plant outside the licensed scope renders the ISI mark on those coils legally invalid, and the consignment is liable to detention and disposal as scrap under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016 regardless of the accompanying test certificate. Verify the exact grade and thickness range of the purchase order against the supplier's CM/L licence scope on the BIS register — not merely against the supplier's assurance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7208 37 40 require BIS certification?

Yes. Hot-rolled flat steel strip of 4.75 mm to 10 mm thickness falls 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 IS 2062 or IS 1079:2017.

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, registration valid for 75 days, and the importer may apply no earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date.

Does S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 defer enforcement for this tariff line?

S.O. 5134(E) suspends enforcement of specified serial numbers in Schedule 1 for three years from its gazette date; whether this tariff line's IS entries are among those serial numbers must be verified against the Schedule 1 list published with S.O. 5134(E), and compliance obligations continue for all entries not listed in that notification.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all grades and thicknesses of hot-rolled strip from the same manufacturer?

No. A CM/L licence is scope-specific by grade, thickness range, width, and manufacturing facility; strip outside the licensed scope or produced at an unlicensed plant is not covered and the ISI mark on such product constitutes a statutory offence under the BIS Act, 2016.

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