Billets

Alloy steel billets and other semi-finished primary forms

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7224 90 91 (alloy steel billets) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 29 August 2024, per S.O. 3716(E). Steel Import Monitoring System registration administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade and compliance with Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs instructions on BIS verification apply as separate customs-clearance overlays.

What this is

HSN code

7224 90 91

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS mapped in Schedule 1 of S.O. 3716(E) · 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
Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against 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 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
Ensure every consignment is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the standard mark, issued by the BIS-licensed manufacturer. Each billet must itself bear the standard mark under the CM/L licence; marking on packaging alone does not satisfy the statutory requirement.
S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Schedule 1 conditions of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024
3
Check the MoS circular dated 20-10-2023 requirement: where a consignment is imported without a BIS licence or certification, the importer must apply for and receive a clarification on the TCQCO portal before clearance. Retain the TCQCO portal reference number in the import file.
Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023 (F.No.S-20011/14/2021-Tech) · CBIC clarification F.No.401/88/2023-CUS.III dated 09-11-2023
4
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date. Fee ₹500; registration valid for 75 days. Quote the SIMS automatic 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 · Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 72
5
Confirm that the specific Indian Standard covering this billet grade has not been granted an operative deferment under S.O. 5134(E). That notification suspends enforcement for certain Schedule 1 serial numbers for periods of one or three years from 20 November 2025; verify the serial number applicable to this grade before shipment.
S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 · CBIC Instructions 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 and 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is assuming that a SIMS registration number alone clears a consignment through customs. CBIC Instructions 16/2025-CUS and 23/2025-CUS require customs officers to verify the applicable Indian Standard mapped in the QCO for the specific input material, with SIMS registration as a parallel — not a substitute — requirement. Importers who have not confirmed the precise IS serial number in Schedule 1, including whether that serial number is temporarily suspended under S.O. 5134(E), face detention even where both the CM/L and SIMS registration appear valid on their face.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7224 90 91 require BIS certification?

Yes. Alloy steel billets under this tariff item are covered by the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 under S.O. 3716(E); import requires a BIS CM/L licence against the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1, with effect from 29 August 2024.

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

Yes. SIMS registration is a distinct customs-clearance overlay administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Fee ₹500, validity 75 days, apply no earlier than 60 days before expected arrival; re-imports for packaging and certain SEZ movements are exempt per DGFT policy circular 38/2015-20.

Does the S.O. 5134(E) deferment notification affect this tariff item?

It may. S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 suspends enforcement of specified Schedule 1 serial numbers for one or three years; the importer must confirm whether the IS mapped to alloy steel billets carries one of those suspended serial numbers before each shipment.

Does one CM/L licence cover all grades and heats of alloy steel billets from the same manufacturer?

No. The CM/L is scope-specific by Indian Standard, product specification, and licensed manufacturing facility; billets of a different alloy grade, specification, or from an unlicensed plant are not covered by the same licence.

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