Skelp for pipes and tubes

Stainless steel skelp, strips for pipes and tubes

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

HSN 7220 12 10 (stainless steel skelp for pipes and tubes) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order under the ISI Mark Scheme. Conformity to IS 6911, IS 5522, and IS 15997 is mandatory under the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 (S.O. 3716(E)); the Ministry of Steel has granted an exemption from mandatory adherence to all three standards until 31 March 2026. 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

7220 12 10

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 6911 · effective 28-09-2020

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 whether the consignment date falls within the Ministry of Steel exemption period. The MoS order dated 20-11-2025 grants exemption from mandatory IS 6911, IS 5522, and IS 15997 adherence until 31 March 2026; consignments after that date require a current BIS CM/L licence from the foreign manufacturer.
MoS order dated 20-11-2025, F.No. S-20011/15/2024-Tech-Part-1; Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024, S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
2
For consignments outside the exemption window, source only from a BIS CM/L-licensed manufacturer whose licence scope covers IS 6911, IS 5522, or IS 15997 as applicable to the specific grade. Confirm the CM/L number, grade scope, dimensional range, and licensed facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024, S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024; Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
3
Ensure every consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the ISI standard mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer. Sub-standard or defective product that does not conform must be disposed of as scrap in compliance with Section 17(1)(b) of the BIS Act, 2016.
Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024, S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024; Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016
4
Register the consignment on the SIMS portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Fee ₹500, SIMS registration number valid for 75 days; no minimum advance-registration period applies. Quote the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry alongside the BIS CM/L number.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020; DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023; DGFT Notification 19/2015-20 dated 07-07-2022
5
Where the consignment is imported without BIS licence or certification (including during the exemption period), apply for clarification on the TCQCO portal as mandated by the MoS circular dated 20-10-2023. Ensure compliance with the CBIC clarification at F.No. 401/88/2023-Cus.III dated 09-11-2023 and CBIC Instructions 16/2025-CUS and 23/2025-CUS regarding SIMS-mapped Indian Standards.
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 critical trap on this tariff line is assuming the MoS exemption until 31 March 2026 is blanket and permanent. The exemption covers mandatory IS 6911, IS 5522, and IS 15997 adherence only for that fixed window; consignments arriving after 31 March 2026 without a current CM/L licence face detention regardless of earlier practice. Importers must also apply for TCQCO portal clarification on every non-certified consignment even during the exemption period — failure to do so constitutes a separate procedural breach that customs has detained consignments for independently of the IS compliance question.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7220 12 10 require BIS certification?

Yes, under the ISI Mark Scheme against IS 6911, IS 5522, and IS 15997 per the Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024. However, the Ministry of Steel has granted an exemption from mandatory adherence to all three standards until 31 March 2026 under its order dated 20-11-2025.

Is SIMS registration required separately from BIS QCO compliance?

Yes. SIMS registration is administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, is independent of the BIS obligation, and applies regardless of whether the consignment falls within the MoS exemption period. Fee ₹500, registration valid 75 days, apply no earlier than 60 days before arrival.

Do the SIMS carve-outs for re-import and SEZ movements also waive the BIS QCO obligation?

No. The SIMS carve-outs under DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 for re-import for packaging and SEZ-to-DTA movements without value addition apply only to the SIMS registration requirement; the BIS QCO obligation continues to apply to those movements.

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

No. A CM/L licence is scope-specific by Indian Standard, steel grade, dimensional range, and licensed manufacturing facility; skelp outside the licensed grade or dimensional scope, or from an unlicensed plant, is not covered and triggers detention.

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