Plates

Cold-rolled flat-rolled steel plates, 1 mm to 3 mm thickness

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7209 26 10 (cold-rolled flat-rolled steel plates of thickness exceeding 1 mm but less than 3 mm) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to the Indian Standard specified in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 28 September 2020. 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

7209 26 10

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS per 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 for the specific Indian Standard mapped to cold-rolled plates in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024. 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
2
Ensure each consignment is accompanied by a Test Certificate bearing the Standard Mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer. The Test Certificate must be consignment-specific; a generic mill certificate without the Standard Mark is not an acceptable substitute.
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
3
Confirm the plates bear the ISI Standard Mark under the supplier's CM/L licence in accordance with Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (CA) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the product; packaging-only marking does not satisfy the requirement.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
4
Register the consignment on the SIMS portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Pay the registration fee of ₹500 and retain the automatic registration number, which is valid for 75 days. Re-imports for packaging only and SEZ-to-DTA movements without value addition are exempt from SIMS.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022
5
If importing without a BIS CM/L licence or certification, apply for clarification on the TCQCO portal for every such consignment as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular and the corresponding CBIC clarification. Quote the BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry; either absent, expired, or scope-mismatched triggers consignment detention.
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 presenting a standard mill test certificate in place of the BIS Standard Mark Test Certificate issued by a CM/L-licensed manufacturer. A generic test report from an accredited laboratory does not satisfy the Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024 obligation; the certificate must bear the Standard Mark and originate from the licensed manufacturer specifically, not from a third-party testing house. Consignments arriving with only a third-party test report face detention, demurrage accrual, and mandatory disposal as scrap under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016 if the sub-standard goods cannot be re-exported.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7209 26 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Cold-rolled steel plates under this tariff line must conform to the Indian Standard specified in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 under the ISI Mark Scheme; import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence covering the relevant thickness range and facility.

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 independent of the BIS QCO obligation. The registration fee is ₹500, applications open no earlier than 60 days before arrival, and the registration number is valid for 75 days.

What applies if the plates are seconds or defective CR material?

Import of seconds and defective cold-rolled plates is subject to value restriction, port restriction, and production of a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate under policy conditions 1, 2, and 3 of Chapter 72. The BIS QCO obligation remains; sub-standard goods that do not conform to the specified standard must be disposed of as scrap.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all thickness ranges within HSN 7209 26 10?

No. The CM/L licence is scope-specific by product specification, thickness range, and manufacturing facility; plates outside the licensed scope or produced at an unlicensed plant are not covered, and customs detains the consignment on a scope mismatch.

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