Exceeding 14 mm

Stainless steel flat-rolled plate of thickness exceeding 14 mm

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 6911 · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7219 21 32 (stainless steel flat-rolled plate exceeding 14 mm thick, width 600 mm or more) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 6911, IS 5522, or IS 15997 (as applicable to grade and end-use) is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 29 August 2024, under the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024. 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

7219 21 32

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 6911 · 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 holding a current licence against IS 6911 (industrial/general grades), IS 5522 (utensil/consumer grades), or IS 15997 (low-nickel austenitic grades) as appropriate to the steel grade being imported. Verify the supplier's 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 each consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the ISI standard mark, issued by the BIS CM/L-licensed manufacturer. Every plate must bear the standard mark under the CM/L licence in accordance with Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (CA) Regulations, 2018.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
3
Note the temporary exemption: the Ministry of Steel order dated 20-11-2025 grants exemption from mandatory IS 6911, IS 5522, and IS 15997 input adherence until 31 March 2026. Verify current exemption status against the TCQCO portal and document the exemption basis on the bill of entry if relying on this carve-out.
MoS order dated 20-11-2025 · F.No. S-20011/15/2024-Tech-Part-1 · S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025
4
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal no earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date. Fee ₹500, automatic registration number valid for 75 days. SIMS registration is not required for re-imports for packaging or for 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
5
If importing without BIS CM/L certification, apply for a clarification on the TCQCO portal before customs filing, as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023, and ensure compliance with the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs clarification at F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023. Quote both the BIS CM/L number and SIMS registration number on the bill of entry; comply with CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025.
MoS circular dated 20-10-2023 · F.No. S-20011/14/2021-Tech · CBIC F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023 · CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025

A word of counsel

The most consequential trap on this tariff line is the time-bounded MoS exemption: the Ministry of Steel has granted temporary relief from mandatory IS 6911, IS 5522, and IS 15997 input adherence until 31 March 2026, but this exemption does not extinguish the CM/L licensing and standard-mark obligations under the Steel and Steel Products QCO — importers relying on the exemption still face sub-standard or defective product disposal requirements under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016. An importer who misreads the MoS exemption as a blanket BIS waiver risks detention, compulsory disposal as scrap, and monetary penalty on any consignment where the supplier lacks a CM/L licence.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7219 21 32 require BIS certification?

Yes. Stainless steel flat-rolled plate exceeding 14 mm thick must conform to IS 6911, IS 5522, or IS 15997 under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 29 August 2024, and may only be imported from a BIS CM/L-licensed manufacturer under the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024.

Is Steel Import Monitoring System registration required separately from BIS QCO compliance?

Yes. SIMS registration is administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade independently of the BIS QCO obligation. Fee ₹500, validity 75 days, apply no earlier than 60 days before expected arrival; re-imports for packaging and SEZ-to-DTA movements without value addition are exempt from SIMS.

Does the Ministry of Steel exemption issued on 20 November 2025 remove the BIS QCO requirement for IS 6911, IS 5522, and IS 15997?

No. The MoS order dated 20-11-2025 exempts mandatory input adherence to these three standards only until 31 March 2026; the underlying CM/L licensing requirement and standard-mark obligation under the Steel and Steel Products QCO remain in force, and substandard product must still be disposed of as scrap per Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016.

Does one CM/L licence cover all stainless steel grades and thickness ranges from the same manufacturer?

No. The CM/L licence is scope-specific by Indian Standard, steel grade, product form, dimensional range, and manufacturing facility; plate outside the licensed scope or from an unlicensed plant is not covered, and customs detains the consignment on a scope mismatch.

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