Other

Hot-rolled free-cutting steel bars and rods in coils

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 814 · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7213 20 90 (hot-rolled free-cutting steel bars and rods in irregularly wound coils) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 814:2004 and IS 6419:1996 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 18 January 2024 under the Welding Rods and Electrodes (Quality Control) Order, 2023. 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

7213 20 90

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 814:2004 · effective 18-01-2024

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
Verify the foreign manufacturer holds a current Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L licence against IS 814:2004 (covered electrodes feedstock) or IS 6419:1996 (gas-shielded arc welding rods feedstock) on the BIS online register. The licence must cover the specific grade, size, and manufacturing facility of the consignment.
Welding Rods and Electrodes (Quality Control) Order, 2023 · S.O. 3153(E) dated 14-07-2023 · IS 814:2004 · IS 6419:1996
2
Ensure each consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the ISI standard mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer, as required under Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024. The standard mark must appear on the product in accordance with Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018.
Steel and Steel Products QCO 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 before import. Fee ₹500, automatic registration valid for 75 days; apply no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Verify the applicable IS standard mapped in the QCO for the specific input material per CBIC Instructions 16/2025-CUS and 23/2025-CUS.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 · CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025
4
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry. If importing without BIS licence or certification, apply for clarification on the TCQCO portal for each consignment before arrival, as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023 read with CBIC clarification F.No.401/88/2023-CUS.III dated 09-11-2023.
Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023 · CBIC clarification F.No.401/88/2023-CUS.III dated 09-11-2023
5
If the consignment is a re-import for packaging only, or an SEZ-to-DTA movement without value addition, document the SIMS exemption basis. Small enterprises obtained a grace period to 18-04-2024 and micro enterprises to 18-07-2024 for BIS compliance; post those dates all size categories are within the QCO without exception.
DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022 · S.O. 3153(E) dated 14-07-2023 · MSMED Act, 2006

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is treating free-cutting steel bars in coil as generic structural steel and seeking CM/L coverage against a structural-steel IS standard rather than against IS 814:2004 or IS 6419:1996 — the standards governing welding-electrode feedstock. A CM/L licence against a mismatched IS number is no licence at all for this HSN; customs will detain the consignment and the importer faces disposal of the sub-standard stock as scrap under Section 17(1)(b) of the BIS Act, 2016, with no recourse to re-export on a scope-mismatch finding.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7213 20 90 require BIS certification?

Yes. Conformity to IS 814:2004 and IS 6419:1996 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 18 January 2024 under the Welding Rods and Electrodes (Quality Control) Order, 2023; import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence covering the relevant grade 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.

Did micro and small enterprises receive a deferred compliance date under the Welding Rods and Electrodes QCO?

Yes. Small enterprises were required to comply from 18 April 2024 and micro enterprises from 18 July 2024, per the staggered schedule under S.O. 3153(E). All size categories are now within the QCO without further deferral.

Does a single CM/L licence cover both IS 814 and IS 6419 product grades?

No. A CM/L licence is standard-specific and facility-specific; a licence against IS 814:2004 does not cover product supplied to IS 6419:1996 specifications, and bars from an unlicensed plant are not covered regardless of grade.

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