Lacquered

Lacquered flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel strip

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7212 50 20 (lacquered flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel strip 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 50 20

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS per Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO · 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 HSN 7212 50 20 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 every consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the standard mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer. The lacquered strip must itself bear the ISI standard mark under the CM/L; the marking obligation extends to the product and not packaging alone.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
3
If the consignment is imported without BIS licence or certification, apply on the TCQCO portal for each such consignment and obtain a clarification before import. Verify compliance with the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023 and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023.
MoS Circular dated 20-10-2023 (F.No. S-20011/14/2021-Tech) · CBIC clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023
4
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Fee ₹500, automatic registration number valid for 75 days from issue; confirm the SIMS registration 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 · Policy condition 5 of Chapter 72 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy
5
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the SIMS automatic registration number on the bill of entry. Comply with CBIC 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; either credential absent, expired, or scope-mismatched triggers consignment detention.
CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 · CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025 · BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962

A word of counsel

The most acute risk on this tariff line is the absence of a specific IS number mapped in the regulatory record's structured fields — the controlling Schedule 1 of S.O. 3716(E) is the operative reference, and importers who omit the TCQCO portal application for consignments arriving without a CM/L licence frequently face detention at port because customs now verifies the portal record in real time. Sub-standard or defective lacquered strip that does not conform to the notified standard must be disposed of as scrap under clause (b) of sub-section (1) of Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016 — re-export or sale into the domestic market without conformity is a criminal offence, not merely a procedural lapse.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7212 50 20 require BIS certification?

Yes. Lacquered flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel strip of width less than 600 mm must conform to the Indian Standard in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 under the ISI Mark Scheme, mandatory 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. Steel Import Monitoring System registration is administered independently by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under DGFT Notification 33/2015-20; fee ₹500, validity 75 days, apply no earlier than 60 days before arrival. The SIMS exemptions for re-imports for packaging and SEZ-to-DTA movements do not relax the BIS QCO obligation.

What is the TCQCO portal requirement for consignments arriving without a BIS CM/L licence?

Every importer bringing in steel covered by the QCO without BIS certification must apply on the TCQCO portal and obtain a clarification for each such consignment, as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023 and confirmed by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs clarification dated 09-11-2023.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all widths and coating specifications of lacquered strip?

No. The CM/L licence is scope-specific by standard, product specification, and manufacturing facility; lacquered strip outside the licensed specification or from an unlicensed plant is not covered and will be detained at customs.

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