Electrode quality

Electrode-quality stainless steel wire for welding consumables

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

HSN 7223 00 10 (electrode-quality stainless steel wire) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 814:2004 and IS 6419:1996 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme, with effect from 29 August 2024 under the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024, and from 18 January 2024 under the Welding Rods and Electrodes Quality Control Order, 2023. 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

7223 00 10

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 814:2004 · 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 IS 814:2004 (covered electrodes for manual metal arc welding) and, where the wire is supplied as filler material for gas-shielded arc welding, against IS 6419:1996. Confirm the licensed scope and facility address 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 · Welding Rods and Electrodes Quality Control Order, 2023 · S.O. 3153(E) dated 14-07-2023
2
Ensure every consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the BIS standard mark, issued by the licensed manufacturer, as required for each shipment. Each product must bear the standard mark under licence per 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
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal, applying no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Fee ₹500; the automatic registration number is valid for 75 days and must remain 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
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry. For any consignment imported without BIS licence or certification, apply for clarification on the TCQCO portal as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023, before the goods arrive.
MoS 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 · CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025
5
If the consignment is a re-import for steel packaging purposes only, or an SEZ-to-DTA movement, document the applicable SIMS exemption basis. Note that the BIS QCO obligation under IS 814:2004 or IS 6419:1996 is not waived by any SIMS carve-out — the ISI-marked product requirement still applies.
DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022 · DGFT Notification 19/2015-20 dated 07-07-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is assuming a single CM/L licence covers both welding-wire applications: IS 814:2004 governs feedstock for covered electrodes used in manual metal arc welding, while IS 6419:1996 governs bare wire for gas-shielded arc welding. A supplier licensed for one standard is not automatically licensed for the other, and a scope mismatch at customs triggers detention of the entire consignment regardless of SIMS registration status. Importers must confirm in writing which welding-wire application their specific feedstock serves, and verify the corresponding IS-specific CM/L scope before the purchase order is placed.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7223 00 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Electrode-quality stainless steel wire must conform to IS 814:2004 or IS 6419:1996 under the ISI Mark Scheme; import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence covering the relevant standard and manufacturing facility.

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

Yes. SIMS registration is administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade and is independent of the BIS QCO obligation. Fee ₹500, validity 75 days, application permitted no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival.

Do the phased enforcement dates for small and micro enterprises under the Welding Rods and Electrodes QCO affect importers?

The phased dates — 18 April 2024 for small enterprises and 18 July 2024 for micro enterprises as defined under the MSMED Act, 2006 — apply to domestic manufacturers. Importers must comply from the general enforcement date applicable to the relevant QCO.

Does a single CM/L licence cover both IS 814:2004 and IS 6419:1996 wire supplied by the same manufacturer?

No. Each IS standard requires a separate licensed scope; a manufacturer holding a CM/L against IS 814:2004 is not thereby licensed for IS 6419:1996, and customs will detain consignments where the declared IS scope does not match the licence on the BIS register.

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