Other

Cold-formed or cold-finished stainless steel bars and rods

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

HSN 7222 20 99 (cold-formed or cold-finished stainless steel bars and rods, other) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to applicable Indian Standards — including IS 814:2004, IS 6419:1996, and IS 16651:2017 — is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 18 January 2024 under the Welding Rods and Electrodes Quality Control Order, 2023 and 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

7222 20 99

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 814 · 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
Identify which Indian Standard governs the specific product being imported: IS 814:2004 for covered electrodes and welding rod feedstock for manual metal arc welding, IS 6419:1996 for bare electrodes and rods for gas shielded arc welding of structural steel, or IS 16651:2017 for high-strength deformed stainless steel bars and wires for concrete reinforcement. Verify the supplier holds a current BIS CM/L licence against the applicable IS 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 standard mark, issued by the BIS CM/L-licensed manufacturer. Every product must bear the ISI mark under 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 · BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
3
Apply for Steel Import Monitoring System registration on the SIMS portal, paying ₹500 and obtaining an Automatic Registration Number not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. The ARN remains valid for 75 days; confirm it remains within validity 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
If the consignment is being imported without BIS certification, apply for and obtain clarification on the TCQCO portal before import, as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023. Ensure compliance with the CBIC clarification on that circular. Consignments not covered by a CM/L licence must be disposed of as scrap under Section 17(1)(b) of the BIS Act, 2016.
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
5
Verify whether the specific IS entry in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO is subject to an operative deferral under S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025, which suspends enforcement of specified serial numbers for 1 or 3 years from gazette publication. Quote the applicable IS number, BIS CM/L number, and SIMS ARN on the bill of entry; absent or scope-mismatched entries trigger consignment detention. Comply with CBIC Instructions 16/25-CUS dated 18-06-2025 and 23/25-CUS dated 15-07-2025 on mandatory SIMS registration for QCO-mapped steel inputs.
S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 · CBIC Instruction 16/25-CUS dated 18-06-2025 · CBIC Instruction 23/25-CUS dated 15-07-2025

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating HSN 7222 20 99 as governed by a single Indian Standard and sourcing a CM/L licence accordingly. This residual 'Other' subheading captures multiple product variants — welding rod feedstock under IS 814:2004, gas-shielded arc welding rod stock under IS 6419:1996, and high-strength deformed bars for concrete reinforcement under IS 16651:2017 — each carrying its own CM/L licence scope. A consignment of stainless steel bars destined for reinforcement use will be detained at port if the supplier's CM/L is scoped only to IS 814:2004 electrode-quality stock, regardless of SIMS compliance.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7222 20 99 require BIS certification?

Yes. Cold-formed or cold-finished stainless steel bars and rods under this tariff line require conformity to the applicable Indian Standard — IS 814:2004, IS 6419:1996, or IS 16651:2017 — under the ISI Mark Scheme, with the manufacturing entity holding a current BIS CM/L licence.

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

Yes. SIMS registration is administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 72 and is independent of the BIS QCO obligation. Fee ₹500, ARN valid 75 days, apply no earlier than 60 days before arrival.

Do the S.O. 5134(E) enforcement deferrals affect this tariff item?

Possibly. S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 suspends enforcement of specified Schedule 1 serial numbers for 1 or 3 years; importers must verify whether the IS entries governing their specific product are among the suspended serial numbers before assuming the QCO obligation is currently operative.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all stainless steel bar and rod variants classified here?

No. Each CM/L is IS-specific and scope-specific by product type, specification, and manufacturing facility; bars and rods governed by different Indian Standards require separate CM/L licences, and a consignment covered only by a licence against an inapplicable IS will be detained.

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