Sheets

Cold-rolled flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel sheets, 0.5 mm to 1 mm thick

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7209 27 20 (cold-rolled flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel sheets of 0.5 mm to 1 mm thickness) 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, by virtue of S.O. 3716(E). 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 27 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 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
2
Ensure every consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the BIS standard mark, issued by the CM/L-licensed manufacturer. Each sheet must itself bear the standard mark under licence per 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 · Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
3
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Fee ₹500; registration valid 75 days from issue. The registration 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
4
Apply on the TCQCO portal for clarification if importing without a BIS licence or certification, as mandated for all steel importers. Ensure compliance with Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025 regarding the Indian Standard of the input material.
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
If importing seconds or defective CR sheets, comply with value restrictions, port restrictions, and Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate requirements under policy conditions 1, 2, and 3 of Chapter 72. Note that SIMS registration exemptions for re-imports for packaging only and SEZ-to-DTA movements are documented under the DGFT carve-outs.
ITC (HS) Import Policy conditions 1, 2 and 3 of Chapter 72 · DGFT policy circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022

A word of counsel

The most frequent compliance failure on this tariff line is assuming that Steel Import Monitoring System registration satisfies the full import obligation. SIMS is a customs-clearance overlay; the statutory trigger for consignment detention, re-export, or confiscation is the absence of a current, scope-matched BIS CM/L licence on the manufacturer — and the absence of the accompanying test certificate bearing the standard mark. An importer presenting a valid SIMS registration alongside product from an unlicensed or lapsed-CM/L manufacturer faces detention regardless of SIMS status, with sub-standard material liable to disposal as scrap under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7209 27 20 require BIS certification?

Yes. Cold-rolled sheets of this thickness range must conform to the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 under the ISI Mark Scheme, with effect from 29 August 2024. Import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence covering the specific product and facility.

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. Fee ₹500, validity 75 days, apply no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival.

Does the partial suspension under S.O. 5134(E) affect this HSN?

S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 suspends enforcement of specific serial numbers listed in Schedule 1 for a period of 3 years from gazette publication. Whether the Indian Standard mapped to this CTI falls within those suspended serial numbers must be verified against Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all cold-rolled sheet specifications from the same manufacturer?

No. A CM/L licence is specific to the Indian Standard, product scope, and manufacturing facility; sheets outside the licensed specification or from 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.