Cold heading quality

Hot-rolled wire rod, cold heading quality, below 14 mm diameter

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7213 91 20 (cold heading quality wire rod of circular cross-section below 14 mm) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to the applicable Indian Standard 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

7213 91 20

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 whose licence covers cold heading quality wire rod of circular cross-section below 14 mm. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, and licensed 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 coil bears the ISI standard mark and is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the standard mark issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer. The standard mark must appear on the product, and the test certificate must travel with each consignment.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
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 for 75 days; the registration must be 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
Verify compliance with CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025 regarding confirmation of the Indian Standard of the input material mapped in the QCO. Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry.
CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 · CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025
5
If the consignment is imported without BIS licence or certification, apply on the TCQCO portal for clarification before import, as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023, and ensure compliance 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

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is treating the SIMS registration as the primary obligation while failing to verify that the supplier's CM/L licence explicitly covers cold heading quality wire rod of circular cross-section below 14 mm — a scope-specific product category that differs from general wire rod. A consignment carrying a valid SIMS registration but sourced from a manufacturer whose CM/L licence covers only standard wire rod remains non-compliant under S.O. 3716(E) and is subject to detention, disposal as scrap, or confiscation under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7213 91 20 require BIS certification?

Yes. Cold heading quality wire rod under this tariff line must conform to the applicable Indian Standard 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 this product.

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.

Do any serial-number entries in Schedule 1 have deferred enforcement under S.O. 5134(E)?

Yes. S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 suspends enforcement of specific serial numbers listed therein for three years from the date of gazette publication; importers must confirm whether the IS number mapped to this product falls within the suspended entries before treating the QCO as operative.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all wire rod grades and diameters from the same manufacturer?

No. The CM/L licence is scope-specific by grade, diameter range, and manufacturing facility; cold heading quality wire rod outside the licensed specification or from an unlicensed plant is not covered.

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