Of free cutting steel

Free cutting steel bars and rods, hot-rolled or forged

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7214 99 10 (free cutting steel bars and rods) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order under the Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024, notified vide S.O. 3716(E). Conformity to the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of the controlling Quality Control Order is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme, with each consignment accompanied by a test certificate bearing the standard mark. 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

7214 99 10

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS per Schedule 1 of S.O. 3716(E) · effective 28-09-2020

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 free cutting steel bars and rods under the Indian Standard specified in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024. Verify the CM/L number, licensed product scope, and facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
2
Ensure each consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the standard mark, issued by the BIS-licensed manufacturer. Every bar and rod must bear the ISI mark under the CM/L licence; marking on the product itself is required, not on packaging alone.
Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Schedule 1, column (3)
3
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Fee ₹500; registration valid for 75 days. SIMS exemptions apply to re-imports for packaging purposes and to SEZ-to-DTA movements without value addition.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022
4
If the consignment is imported without a BIS CM/L licence or certification, apply for clarification on the TCQCO portal before import, as mandated for all steel importers. Ensure compliance with the clarification issued vide F.No. 401/88/2023-CUS.III dated 09-11-2023 on the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023.
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 the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry. Ensure strict compliance 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 input material of steel products intended for import.
CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 · CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is assuming that the serial-number deferral list in S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 — which suspends enforcement for 42 specific IS entries in Schedule 1 for three years — covers free cutting steel bars and rods under HSN 7214 99 10. Importers must verify whether the IS number mapped to this CTI in Schedule 1 is among the deferred serial numbers; if it is not listed in S.O. 5134(E), the enforcement obligation under S.O. 3716(E) remains fully operative, and a consignment without a valid CM/L and standard-marked product faces detention and disposal as scrap under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?

Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.

Speak to an Expert

Frequently asked

Does HSN 7214 99 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Free cutting steel bars and rods under this tariff line must conform to the Indian Standard in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024 under the ISI Mark Scheme; import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence covering this product.

Is SIMS registration required in addition to BIS QCO compliance?

Yes. Steel Import Monitoring System 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.

Does the S.O. 5134(E) deferral of enforcement for certain IS entries affect this HSN?

Only if the IS number mapped to HSN 7214 99 10 in Schedule 1 is listed among the 42 deferred serial numbers in S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025; if it is not on that list, enforcement under S.O. 3716(E) continues without interruption.

What happens to sub-standard or non-conforming consignments at the port?

Sub-standard or defective steel products that do not conform to the specified Indian Standard must be disposed of as scrap in a manner that does not violate clause (b) of sub-section (1) of Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016 (11 of 2016).

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-18. Source: BIS / SIMS / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.