Strip

Hot-rolled flat steel strip, not in coils, over 10 mm thick

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7208 51 40 (hot-rolled flat steel strip, not in coils, of thickness exceeding 10 mm) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 2062 or IS 1079 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme by virtue of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 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 51 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, as applicable to the strip grade. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, and licensed 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 ISI standard mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer. Each strip must itself bear the standard mark under the supplier's CM/L licence; marking on packaging alone does not satisfy the requirement.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Schedule 1, column (3)
3
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal, paying the fee of ₹500, and obtain an automatic registration number valid for 75 days. Application may be made no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival; the 15-day advance minimum has been abolished.
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
4
If importing seconds or defective HR plates or sheets, comply with the applicable value restriction, port restriction, and Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirements. Price restrictions on prime steel items apply to the extent specified in the Madras High Court order dated 21-01-2004 in W.P. No. 38864 and 38865 of 2003.
ITC (HS) Import Policy, Chapter 72, Policy Conditions 1, 2, and 3
5
For any consignment imported without BIS CM/L certification, apply for clarification on the TCQCO portal before importation, as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023. Quote the supplier's CM/L number, the SIMS registration number, and the CBIC clarification reference on the bill of entry.
Ministry of Steel circular F.No. S-20011/14/2021-Tech dated 20-10-2023 · CBIC clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023

A word of counsel

The most frequent compliance failure on this tariff line is overlooking the partial suspension under S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025, which renders enforcement inoperative for three years from gazette publication for specified serial numbers in Schedule 1 of the QCO. Importers must confirm whether their mapped IS number falls within the suspended serial numbers before concluding that the CM/L obligation is currently enforceable — assuming either blanket compliance or blanket suspension without checking the Schedule 1 serial number is the specific error that generates both unnecessary spend and genuine enforcement exposure.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7208 51 40 require BIS certification?

Yes. Hot-rolled flat steel strip exceeding 10 mm thickness falls within Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024, requiring an ISI Mark Scheme CM/L licence against IS 2062 or IS 1079, subject to the serial-number-specific suspension 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, registration valid for 75 days, apply no earlier than 60 days before arrival. Re-imports for packaging only and SEZ-to-DTA movements are exempt from SIMS.

Does the partial suspension under S.O. 5134(E) affect this tariff line?

Possibly. S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 suspends enforcement for specified serial numbers in Schedule 1 for three years from gazette publication. Whether IS 2062 or IS 1079 as mapped to HSN 7208 51 40 falls within the suspended serial numbers must be verified against the Schedule 1 serial number list.

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

No. The CM/L is scope-specific by Indian Standard, product grade, thickness range, and licensed manufacturing facility; strip outside the licensed scope or from an unlicensed plant is not covered and will be detained at port.

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