H sections

H sections of iron or non-alloy steel

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7216 33 00 (H sections of iron or non-alloy steel) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order under the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024. Conformity to the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of the controlling Quality Control Order 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

7216 33 00

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 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 H sections under the Indian Standard mapped 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 H section in the consignment bears the ISI standard mark under the supplier's CM/L licence and is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the standard mark issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer. The standard mark and test certificate must be present per consignment, not per shipment batch only.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016
3
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal, applying no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Fee ₹500; the automatic SIMS registration number is valid for 75 days. The former 15-day advance-registration minimum has been abolished.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · DGFT Notification 19/2015-20 dated 07-07-2022
4
If the consignment is imported without BIS CM/L certification, apply for and obtain a prior clarification on the TCQCO portal for each such consignment before import. Confirm the applicable standard mark requirement against CBIC instruction 16/2025-CUS and its modification under CBIC instruction 23/2025-CUS.
Ministry of Steel 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 · CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 · CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025
5
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry. If the consignment qualifies for a SIMS carve-out (re-import for packaging, or SEZ-to-DTA without value addition), document the exemption basis; note that the BIS QCO marking obligation is not waived by the SIMS carve-out.
DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022 · ITC (HS) Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 72 · Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024

A word of counsel

The most consequential oversight on this tariff line is importing H sections on the assumption that the Steel and Steel Products QCO serial-number deferral under S.O. 5134(E) covers H sections — the deferred serial numbers are specific, and any H-section line item not on that list remains fully operative from 29 August 2024. Importers must confirm, against the published Schedule 1 serial number for their specific H-section specification, whether the S.O. 5134(E) three-year suspension applies; importing without a valid CM/L licence on an operative serial number risks detention, confiscation, and prosecution under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7216 33 00 require BIS certification?

Yes. H sections of iron or non-alloy steel must conform to the Indian Standard mapped 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 the relevant H-section specification.

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, valid for 75 days, applied no earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date.

Does the S.O. 5134(E) deferral apply to H sections under HSN 7216 33 00?

Only if the specific Schedule 1 serial number assigned to this H-section specification is among the serial numbers listed in S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025. Importers must verify the assigned serial number in Schedule 1; items whose serial numbers are not listed in S.O. 5134(E) remain operative without deferral.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all H-section sizes and grades from one manufacturer?

No. The CM/L licence is scope-specific by section size, grade, and manufacturing facility; H sections outside the licensed specification or from an unlicensed plant are not covered, and customs detains the consignment on any scope mismatch with the BIS register.

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