Plates

Cold-rolled steel plates of thickness less than 0.5 mm

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7209 18 10 (cold-rolled steel plates of width 600 mm or more and thickness less than 0.5 mm) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order under the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 notified vide S.O. 3716(E). Conformity to the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of the controlling Quality Control Order is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 28 September 2020. 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 18 10

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS mapped in Schedule 1 of S.O. 3716(E) · 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 the Indian Standard mapped to this product in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024. Verify the 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 standard mark, issued by the BIS-licensed manufacturer. Every plate must bear the ISI mark under the CM/L licence; consignments without a conforming test certificate are liable to detention and disposal as scrap.
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 no earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date. Fee is ₹500; the automatic registration number is valid for 75 days and must remain 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
4
For any consignment imported without BIS licence or certification, apply for and obtain clarification on the TCQCO portal before import. Quote both the BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry; verify compliance with CBIC Instructions 16/2025-CUS and 23/2025-CUS regarding mandatory SIMS mapping of the Indian Standard.
Ministry of Steel Circular dated 20-10-2023 · CBIC clarification 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
If importing seconds or defective CR plates, comply with value restriction, port restriction, and Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirements. Note also that certain serial-number entries in Schedule 1 have been suspended for three years from gazette publication under S.O. 5134(E); confirm whether this product's schedule entry is among those suspended before finalising the consignment.
Policy conditions 1, 2, and 3 of Chapter 72 · S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 · Madras High Court Order dated 21-01-2004 in W.P. 38864 and 38865 of 2003

A word of counsel

The most consequential oversight on this tariff line is failing to confirm which Schedule 1 serial-number entry governs the specific Indian Standard for this product — and whether that entry is among those suspended for three years under S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025. Importers who treat the suspension as a blanket exemption from BIS obligations on cold-rolled plates risk continuing detention: S.O. 5134(E) suspends enforcement only of the listed serial numbers, and the underlying QCO framework and SIMS obligation remain operative for all other entries. Confirm the applicable schedule-entry status on the TCQCO portal before shipment.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7209 18 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Cold-rolled steel plates under this tariff line must conform to the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 (S.O. 3716(E)), and may be imported only from a BIS CM/L-licensed manufacturer under the ISI Mark Scheme.

Is Steel Import Monitoring System 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 independent of the BIS QCO obligation. Fee is ₹500, validity is 75 days, and application may be made no earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date.

Does S.O. 5134(E) suspend BIS QCO enforcement for this product?

Only if this product's Schedule 1 serial-number entry is among those listed in S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 — enforcement of those specific entries is suspended for three years from gazette publication. The SIMS obligation and the broader QCO framework continue to apply regardless.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all cold-rolled plate thicknesses and manufacturing facilities?

No. A CM/L licence is specific to the product scope, thickness range, and licensed manufacturing facility; plates outside the licensed specification or from an unlicensed plant are not covered and will be detained at port.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-18. Source: BIS / SIMS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.