Billets

Stainless steel billets and other semifinished primary forms

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

HSN 7218 99 10 (stainless steel billets) 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, by virtue of the Welding Rods and Electrodes Quality Control Order, 2023 and the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 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

7218 99 10

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
Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against IS 814:2004 (covered electrodes feedstock) or IS 6419:1996 (gas-shielded arc welding rods feedstock), as applicable to the specific product. Verify the CM/L number, licensed product scope, and manufacturing facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Welding Rods and Electrodes QCO, 2023 · S.O. 3153(E) dated 14-07-2023 · Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
2
Ensure each consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the ISI standard mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer, covering the specific billet lot. 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 SIMS portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Fee ₹500; the automatic registration number is valid for 75 days. Confirm SIMS applicability against CBIC Instructions 16/2025-CUS and 23/2025-CUS for steel input materials mapped to a QCO.
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
If the consignment lacks BIS licence or certification, apply for clarification on the TCQCO portal before import. This is mandatory for all steel importers per Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023, as clarified by CBIC vide F.No.401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023.
MoS 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 applicable SIMS exemption basis. Note that the BIS QCO obligation under IS 814:2004 or IS 6419:1996 is not waived by either SIMS carve-out — the ISI-marked product requirement continues to apply.
DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022 · Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024

A word of counsel

The acutest risk on this tariff line is a scope-mismatch between the product actually imported and the Indian Standard under which the supplier's CM/L licence is granted. IS 814:2004 governs feedstock for covered electrodes for manual metal arc welding of carbon and carbon-manganese steel; IS 6419:1996 governs feedstock for gas-shielded arc welding rods of structural steel. Importers who verify only that a CM/L exists — without confirming whether the licensed standard and product scope match the precise billet specification — face consignment detention and potential confiscation under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016, regardless of SIMS registration status.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7218 99 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Stainless steel billets under this tariff line must conform to IS 814:2004 or IS 6419:1996 under the ISI Mark Scheme, with effect from 18 January 2024, under the Welding Rods and Electrodes Quality Control Order, 2023 and the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024.

Is SIMS 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 arrival date.

Do the MSME-specific phased enforcement dates affect importers?

The phased dates — 18 April 2024 for small enterprises and 18 July 2024 for micro enterprises as defined under the MSMED Act, 2006 — apply to domestic manufacturers, not to importers; importers are subject to the principal enforcement date of 18 January 2024 regardless of enterprise size.

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

No. A CM/L licence is issued against a specific Indian Standard and product scope; a supplier holding a CM/L for IS 814:2004 feedstock is not thereby licensed for IS 6419:1996 product, and customs will detain billets presented against an out-of-scope licence.

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