Sheets

Cold-rolled flat-rolled steel sheets of 3 mm or more thickness

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7209 15 20 (cold-rolled flat-rolled steel sheets of 3 mm or more thickness) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order under the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 vide S.O. 3716(E). Conformity to IS 513 or IS 1079 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme. 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

7209 15 20

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 513 / IS 1079 · effective 28-09-2020

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 513 or IS 1079 (as applicable to the specific product variant). 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
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 ISI mark under the CM/L licence in accordance with Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Section 17 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; pay the ₹500 registration fee. The automatic registration number is valid for 75 days and must remain valid 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
4
If the consignment is imported without BIS licence or certification, apply for clarification on the TCQCO portal before import, as mandated for all steel importers. Comply with CBIC clarification vide F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023 and ensure compliance with CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025.
Ministry of Steel Circular dated 20-10-2023 · CBIC F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023 · CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025; CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025
5
For imports of seconds and defective CR coils or sheets, observe port restrictions, value restrictions, and produce a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate. SIMS registration carve-outs apply for re-imports for packaging only and for DTA-to-SEZ movements without value addition; the BIS QCO obligation is not waived by either carve-out.
Policy Conditions 1, 2 and 3 of Chapter 72 · DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is treating the SIMS registration as the primary compliance gate and verifying the BIS CM/L only as an afterthought. Customs verifies the CM/L in real time against the BIS register at the time of bill of entry; an absent, expired, or thickness-scope-mismatched licence triggers consignment detention, demurrage, and potential disposal as scrap under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016 — regardless of clean SIMS registration. Confirm that the supplier's CM/L explicitly covers the 3 mm or greater thickness range and the specific IS (513 or 1079) relevant to the product variant before the purchase order, not at the port.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7209 15 20 require BIS certification?

Yes. Cold-rolled flat-rolled steel sheets of 3 mm or more thickness require conformity to IS 513 or IS 1079 under the ISI Mark Scheme, by virtue of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 vide S.O. 3716(E). Import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence covering the relevant product scope.

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. The fee is ₹500, registration is valid for 75 days, and the application may be made no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival.

Does S.O. 5134(E) suspend the BIS obligation for this tariff item?

Only for the specific serial numbers listed in S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025, where enforcement is suspended for three years from the gazette date. Importers must verify whether IS 513 or IS 1079 as mapped to HSN 7209 15 20 appears in the suspended serial numbers before relying on any suspension.

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

No. The CM/L is scope-specific by Indian Standard, thickness range, and manufacturing facility. Sheets outside the licensed thickness range or from an unlicensed plant are not covered and customs will detain the consignment on a scope mismatch.

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