Of tool steel quality

Semi-finished alloy steel of tool steel quality

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7224 90 10 (semi-finished alloy steel of tool steel quality) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order under the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024. Conformity to the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of that Order is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 28 September 2020, by virtue of S.O. 3716(E). 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

7224 90 10

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS mapped in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024 · 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
Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer whose licence scope covers tool-steel-quality semi-finished alloy steel under the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024. Verify the CM/L number, licensed product scope, 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 · Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
2
Confirm that each consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the standard mark, issued by the BIS-licensed manufacturer. The test certificate must be traceable to the consignment and presented to customs at the time of assessment.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
3
Ensure every product in the consignment bears the ISI standard mark under the supplier's CM/L licence, per Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Unmarked or sub-standard product must be disposed of as scrap; retention or re-sale triggers liability under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016.
Section 17(1)(b) of the BIS Act, 2016 · Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
4
Register the consignment on the SIMS portal before shipment. Fee ₹500, apply no earlier than 60 days before expected date of arrival, registration valid 75 days. For consignments imported without BIS certification, apply on the TCQCO portal for clarification as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · Ministry of Steel circular F.No. S-20011/14/2021-Tech dated 20-10-2023
5
Ensure compliance with CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025 regarding mandatory SIMS portal registration for the Indian Standard mapped to this HSN under the QCO. Quote the BIS 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 · CBIC clarification F.No. 401/88/2023-CUS.III dated 09-11-2023

A word of counsel

The most consequential oversight on this tariff line is failing to verify whether the specific serial number entry for the applicable Indian Standard in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO falls within the deferred-enforcement cohorts notified under S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025. Several Schedule 1 entries have operative enforcement suspended for either one or three years from that gazette date; importing against the wrong assumption — either that enforcement is live when it has been deferred, or that deferral covers this entry when it does not — produces either unnecessary CM/L sourcing costs or, far more seriously, consignment detention at port for non-conforming product where enforcement is fully operative.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7224 90 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Tool-steel-quality semi-finished alloy steel under this tariff item is subject to the ISI Mark Scheme under the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024; import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence covering the relevant Indian Standard in Schedule 1 of that Order.

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 ₹500, registration valid 75 days, application no earlier than 60 days before expected arrival date; the SIMS number must appear on the bill of entry.

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

Potentially. S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 suspends operative enforcement for specified Schedule 1 serial numbers for either one or three years from gazette publication. Whether the serial number mapped to this HSN falls within a deferred cohort must be verified against the current Schedule 1 before each shipment.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all tool steel grades and semi-finished product forms?

No. A CM/L licence is scope-specific by Indian Standard, product form, grade, and manufacturing facility; material outside the licensed scope or from an unlicensed plant is not covered and is subject to detention on a scope mismatch at customs verification.

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