Not exceeding 14 mm

Stainless steel flat-rolled products, thickness 4.75 mm to 14 mm

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

HSN 7219 31 21 (stainless steel flat-rolled products of width 600 mm or more, thickness 4.75 mm to 14 mm) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 6911, IS 5522, or IS 15997 (as applicable by grade) is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 29 August 2024, by virtue of 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

7219 31 21

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
Verify the foreign manufacturer holds a current BIS CM/L licence against the applicable Indian Standard — IS 6911 for industrial-grade stainless steel plate, sheet and strip; IS 5522 for utensil-grade sheet and strip; or IS 15997 for low-nickel austenitic flat products. Confirm the licence scope covers the exact grade, thickness, and manufacturing facility before placing the purchase order.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · IS 6911, IS 5522, IS 15997
2
Ensure every consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the ISI standard mark, issued by the BIS-licensed manufacturer. Each product must also bear the standard mark under the CM/L licence in accordance with Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Scheme-I of Schedule-II, 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, registration valid for 75 days from issue; verify it remains valid on the date of arrival.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 72
4
Comply with Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025 on verification of Indian Standards for steel and steel products mapped in the QCO and requiring mandatory SIMS registration. Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry.
CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 · CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025
5
If importing without a valid BIS CM/L licence, apply for a clarification on the TCQCO portal as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023. Note the temporary MoS exemption from mandatory input adherence for IS 6911, IS 5522, and IS 15997 is effective only until 31-03-2026; consignments after that date must be from a fully licensed source.
MoS Circular dated 20-10-2023 · F. No. S-20011/14/2021-Tech · MoS Order dated 20-11-2025 · F. No. S-20011/15/2024-Tech-Part-1 · CBIC clarification F. No. 401/88/2023-CUS.III dated 09-11-2023

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is failing to identify which of the three applicable Indian Standards — IS 6911, IS 5522, or IS 15997 — governs the specific grade and end-use application being imported, then discovering the supplier's CM/L licence covers a different standard entirely. A licence held against IS 5522 does not cover industrial-grade flat products under IS 6911, and customs is entitled to detain the consignment on a standard-mismatch regardless of the temporary MoS exemption, which itself expires 31-03-2026 and applies only to input-adherence, not to the marking obligation.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7219 31 21 require BIS certification?

Yes. Import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence against IS 6911, IS 5522, or IS 15997 (as applicable by grade) under the ISI Mark Scheme, with effect from 29 August 2024 per 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 independently of the BIS QCO obligation; fee is ₹500, validity is 75 days, and the importer may apply no earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date.

Does the Ministry of Steel temporary exemption remove the BIS marking requirement?

No. The MoS Order dated 20-11-2025 grants exemption from mandatory input adherence for IS 6911, IS 5522, and IS 15997 only until 31-03-2026; the obligation to bear the standard mark under a valid CM/L licence and to accompany the consignment with a test certificate remains in force throughout.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all three stainless steel standards and all thickness ranges?

No. A CM/L licence is specific to the Indian Standard, product grade, thickness range, and licensed manufacturing facility; material outside any of those parameters is not covered and is liable to detention at port.

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