Other

Stainless steel semifinished products and primary forms (blooms, billets, slabs)

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

HSN 7218 99 90 (stainless steel in other primary forms and semifinished products) 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 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
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. 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 Quality Control Order, 2023 · S.O. 3153(E) dated 14-07-2023; Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 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 CM/L-licensed manufacturer. The test certificate must be traceable to the specific consignment and reflect the relevant IS number.
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
3
Register the consignment on the SIMS portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Pay the ₹500 registration fee and retain the automatic registration number, which remains valid for 75 days from issue.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020; DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023
4
Comply with CBIC Instructions 16/2025-CUS and 23/2025-CUS on mapping the Indian Standard of each steel input material being imported. Quote the BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry; either absent, expired, or scope-mismatched triggers consignment detention.
CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025
5
If importing without BIS licence or certification, apply on the TCQCO portal for a clarification on each and every such consignment, 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 F.No.S-20011/14/2021-TECH 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 stainless steel primary form or semifinished product as out of scope for the Welding Rods and Electrodes QCO because the product description reads 'Other' — not 'welding rods' or 'electrodes'. IS 814:2004 and IS 6419:1996 govern the upstream feedstock supplied to the welding consumables industry, so a bloom, billet, or slab destined for electrode manufacture falls squarely within this QCO; importers who rely on the headline tariff descriptor and bypass CM/L verification face detention plus mandatory TCQCO portal referral on every non-certified consignment.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7218 99 90 require BIS certification?

Yes. Conformity to IS 814:2004 or IS 6419:1996 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme from 18 January 2024; import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence covering the relevant product scope and facility.

Is SIMS registration required separately from BIS QCO compliance?

Yes. SIMS registration under the Steel Import Monitoring System is a distinct customs-clearance overlay administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, requiring a ₹500 fee and yielding a registration number valid for 75 days. Re-imports for packaging purposes and certain SEZ-to-DTA movements are exempt from SIMS under DGFT policy circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022, but the BIS QCO obligation continues to apply.

Are there any phased or deferred enforcement dates for specific serial numbers in the Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024?

Yes. Per S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025, enforcement of IS numbers at serial numbers 49, 50, 60, 64, 86, 92, 93, 94, 102, 128, 132, 135, and 137 of Schedule 1 is suspended for one year from the date of that gazette publication; importers should confirm whether their specific product maps to a suspended serial number.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all grades and forms of stainless steel semifinished products under this HSN?

No. The CM/L is scope-specific by Indian Standard (IS 814:2004 or IS 6419:1996), product grade, manufacturing facility, and size or specification range; material outside the licensed scope or from an unlicensed plant is not covered and will be detained at port.

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