Sheets

Cold-rolled flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel sheets, 1–3 mm thick

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7209 26 20 (cold-rolled flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel sheets 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 mapped in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 29 August 2024, per 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.

What this is

HSN code

7209 26 20

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 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 the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 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 · 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-certified manufacturer. Every sheet must bear the ISI mark under the CM/L licence; sub-standard or defective product must be disposed of as scrap in accordance with Section 17(1)(b) of the BIS Act, 2016.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016 (11 of 2016)
3
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Pay the ₹500 registration fee; the automatic registration number is valid for 75 days from issue 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 · ITC (HS) Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 72
4
Apply on the TCQCO portal for each consignment imported without a BIS licence or certification, and obtain MoS clarification before clearance. Comply with the CBIC clarification on this requirement. Any import of seconds and defective CR coils or sheets is additionally subject to value restriction, port restriction, and production of a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate.
MoS Circular dated 20-10-2023 · CBIC clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023 · ITC (HS) Policy Conditions 1, 2, and 3 of Chapter 72
5
Quote both the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry. Note that CBIC Instructions 16/2025-CUS and 23/2025-CUS require strict compliance on the Indian Standard of the input material mapped in the QCO. If the consignment is a re-import for packaging only, or an SEZ-to-DTA movement, document the SIMS exemption basis; the BIS QCO obligation is not waived by either carve-out.
CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025 · DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is assuming that S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 has suspended the BIS obligation for this product. That notification defers enforcement for specific serial numbers in Schedule 1 of the QCO; importers must verify whether the IS number mapped to HSN 7209 26 20 falls within those suspended serial numbers before concluding compliance is not yet active. Importing unverified product without a valid CM/L, on the mistaken assumption of a blanket deferral, results in consignment detention and mandatory TCQCO portal referral under the MoS Circular dated 20-10-2023.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7209 26 20 require BIS certification?

Yes. These cold-rolled steel sheets fall under the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 (S.O. 3716(E)), requiring conformity to the Indian Standard in Schedule 1 under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 29 August 2024; import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence.

Is SIMS registration required separately from BIS QCO compliance?

Yes. SIMS registration is administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade independently of the BIS QCO; fee ₹500, validity 75 days, application permitted no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival.

Does S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 suspend the BIS QCO for this HSN?

Only if the Indian Standard mapped to this tariff item in Schedule 1 of the QCO corresponds to one of the serial numbers listed in S.O. 5134(E); the deferral is serial-number-specific, not a blanket suspension, and must be verified against the schedule before assuming non-applicability.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all thickness ranges and facilities for these sheets?

No. A CM/L licence is scope-specific by thickness range, product specification, and licensed manufacturing facility; sheets outside the licensed scope 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.