Other
Hot-rolled flat steel plates, 4.75 mm to 10 mm thick, not in coils
HSN 7208 52 90 (hot-rolled flat steel plates of 4.75 mm to 10 mm thickness, not in coils) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order under the Steel and Steel Products (Quality Control) Order, 2024. Conformity to the applicable Indian Standard under Schedule 1 of that Order is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme by virtue of 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.
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
- 1Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against the applicable Indian Standard (IS 2062 or IS 1079) for hot-rolled flat steel products. 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
- 2Ensure each consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the ISI standard mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer. The test certificate must be traceable to the licensed facility and cover the specific grade and thickness range of the plates shipped.Steel and Steel Products (Quality Control) Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
- 3Register the consignment on the SIMS portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Fee ₹500, registration valid for 75 days from issue; SIMS number must remain within validity on the date of arrival. The minimum 15-day advance registration requirement 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
- 4Apply on the TCQCO portal for each consignment imported without a BIS licence or certification, and obtain the requisite clarification before the consignment arrives. Quote the BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry; customs verifies both in real time.MoS Circular dated 20-10-2023 · CBIC clarification F.No.401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023
- 5If importing seconds or defective HR plates, 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. Nos. 38864 and 38865 of 2003.Policy conditions 1, 2 and 3 of Chapter 72 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy
The single most common error on this tariff line is assuming that SIMS registration is the primary gatekeeping obligation and treating the BIS QCO as secondary. Customs verification at port proceeds independently on both the CM/L licence and the SIMS number; a consignment presented with a valid SIMS registration but without a current, scope-matched CM/L licence — or accompanied only by a mill test report from an unlicensed manufacturer — is liable to detention, mandatory disposal as scrap, and potential criminal liability under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016. Verify that the supplier's CM/L explicitly covers the grade, thickness range, and manufacturing facility before shipment.