Sheets

Hot-rolled flat steel sheets, not coiled, thickness exceeding 10 mm

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7208 51 30 (hot-rolled flat steel sheets of width 600 mm or more, not coiled, exceeding 10 mm thick) is covered by the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order 2024. Conformity to IS 2062 or IS 1079 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme by virtue of S.O. 3716(E) dated 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

7208 51 30

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, as applicable to the product specification. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, 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 ISI standard mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer. Every sheet must itself bear the standard mark under CM/L licence; sub-standard product must be disposed of as scrap under Section 17(1)(b) of the BIS Act, 2016.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Section 17(1)(b) of the BIS Act, 2016
3
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. The registration fee is ₹500 and the automatic registration number remains valid for 75 days from issue; confirm it remains within validity on the date of arrival.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 72 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy
4
If the consignment is seconds or defective HR sheets or plates, comply with the applicable value restriction, port restriction, and Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirement. Price restrictions on prime steel items apply to the extent specified in the Madras High Court order dated 21-01-2004 in W.P. Nos. 38864 and 38865 of 2003.
Policy Conditions 1, 2, and 3 of Chapter 72 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy
5
For any consignment imported without BIS CM/L certification, apply for and obtain a TCQCO portal clarification from the Ministry of Steel before clearance. Quote the BIS CM/L number and SIMS registration number on the bill of entry; ensure compliance with Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023.
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 most common error on this tariff line is tendering a SIMS registration number at customs without a matching, in-scope BIS CM/L licence — SIMS satisfies the steel-monitoring overlay but does not discharge the QCO obligation. Independently, the deferral instrument S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 suspends enforcement of specified serial numbers in Schedule 1 of the QCO for three years; importers must verify whether the particular IS entry covering their product specification is among the deferred items before assuming the ISI-mark requirement is currently operative or deferred.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7208 51 30 require BIS certification?

Yes. Hot-rolled flat steel sheets exceeding 10 mm in thickness are subject to the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 under S.O. 3716(E); import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence against IS 2062 or IS 1079, as applicable.

Is SIMS registration required separately from BIS QCO compliance?

Yes. SIMS registration is administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 and is entirely independent of the BIS QCO obligation. The fee is ₹500, the registration is valid for 75 days, and applications may be submitted no earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date.

Has enforcement of the QCO been deferred for this product under S.O. 5134(E)?

S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 defers enforcement of specified serial-number entries in Schedule 1 of the QCO for three years. Importers must verify whether the IS 2062 or IS 1079 entry applicable to their product is among the listed deferred serial numbers before concluding whether the ISI-mark requirement is currently operative.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all thickness ranges and grades of HR steel sheets from the same manufacturer?

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

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