Other
Flat-rolled stainless steel sheet and strip, under 0.5 mm thick
HSN 7219 35 90 (flat-rolled stainless steel, width 600 mm or more, thickness less than 0.5 mm) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 6911, IS 5522, or IS 15997 — as applicable to the grade and end-use — 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 vide S.O. 3716(E). Steel Import Monitoring System registration administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade applies as a separate customs-clearance overlay.
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
- 1Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against the applicable Indian Standard — IS 6911 for industrial-grade stainless plate, sheet and strip; IS 5522 for utensil/kitchenware-grade material; IS 15997 for low-nickel austenitic grades. Verify the CM/L number, licensed grade, 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 · IS 6911 / IS 5522 / IS 15997
- 2Ensure every consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the standard mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer, as required under the Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024. The standard mark must appear on the product itself in accordance with Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018.S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
- 3Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal and obtain an automatic registration number by paying the fee of ₹500. Applications may be submitted no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival; the registration number remains valid for 75 days.DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · ITC (HS) policy condition 5 of Chapter 72
- 4Comply with CBIC Instructions 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 and 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025 regarding verification of the Indian Standard of the input material of steel and steel products intended for import as notified and mapped in the QCO, and registration on the SIMS portal. Quote the CM/L number and 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
- 5If importing without a BIS licence or certification, apply and seek a clarification on the TCQCO portal for each consignment, and confirm compliance with the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023 and the CBIC clarification vide F.No. 401/88/2023-CUS.III dated 09-11-2023. Note the Ministry of Steel order dated 20-11-2025 grants exemption from mandatory input adherence for IS 6911, IS 5522, and IS 15997 until 31-03-2026.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 · Ministry of Steel order F.No. S-20011/15/2024-Tech-Part-1 dated 20-11-2025
The most common error on this tariff line is treating the three applicable Indian Standards — IS 6911, IS 5522, and IS 15997 — as interchangeable, and sourcing material under a CM/L licence that covers a different standard than the one mapped to the specific grade being imported. Customs verifies the CM/L scope at port against the grade declaration on the test certificate; a mismatch between the licensed IS and the declared product grade triggers detention and a re-export or disposal-as-scrap outcome under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016. Separately, the Ministry of Steel exemption from mandatory input adherence for all three IS standards expires on 31-03-2026 — importers relying on that window must have compliant CM/L-backed sourcing in place before that date.