Painted, varnished or coated with plastics

Painted, varnished or plastic-coated narrow flat-rolled steel strip

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7212 40 00 (painted, varnished or plastic-coated flat-rolled steel of width less than 600 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, by virtue of S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024. 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

7212 40 00

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS as mapped in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024 · 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 under the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024. Verify the CM/L number, licensed product scope, and manufacturing facility address 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 product unit bears the ISI standard mark under the supplier's BIS CM/L licence, and that each consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the standard mark issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer. Marking on packaging alone does not satisfy the statutory requirement.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · 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. The registration fee is ₹500 and the automatic registration number is valid for 75 days; ensure it remains 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
Before filing the bill of entry, apply for clarification on the TCQCO portal for any consignment imported without a BIS licence or certification. This step is mandatory under the Ministry of Steel circular and the CBIC clarification; non-compliance triggers detention.
Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023 · CBIC clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-CUS.III dated 09-11-2023
5
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and SIMS registration number on the bill of entry. Comply with CBIC Instructions 16/2025-CUS and 23/2025-CUS on the Indian Standard of the respective input material as notified under the QCO. Absence, expiry, or scope mismatch in either reference triggers consignment detention.
CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is importing painted, varnished or plastic-coated steel strip under a CM/L licence scoped to a different surface treatment or substrate — for example, a licence issued for plain cold-rolled or galvanised strip that does not cover the organic-coated product family. Sub-standard or defective product that does not conform to the specified Indian Standard may not be re-exported; it must be disposed of as scrap in a manner that avoids any violation of Section 17(1)(b) of the BIS Act, 2016, a disposal obligation that generates significant demurrage and ground-rent exposure at the port of import.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7212 40 00 require BIS certification?

Yes. Painted, varnished or plastic-coated flat-rolled steel of width less than 600 mm falls within Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 and must conform to the mapped Indian Standard under the ISI Mark Scheme, with the supplier 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 obligation. Fee ₹500, registration valid for 75 days; apply no earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date per DGFT Notification 28/2023.

Do the SIMS carve-outs for re-import for packaging or SEZ movements also waive the BIS QCO obligation?

No. The SIMS exemptions under DGFT policy circular 38/2015-20 apply only to SIMS registration; the ISI mark and CM/L licence requirement under the Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024 continues to apply to in-scope product.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all surface-treatment variants and manufacturing facilities?

No. A CM/L licence is scope-specific by product specification, surface treatment, and licensed manufacturing facility; painted or plastic-coated variants outside the licensed scope, or produced at an unlicensed plant, are not covered.

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