Sulphur bearing steel

Sulphur bearing alloy steel bars and rods

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7228 60 93 (sulphur bearing alloy steel bars and rods) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order under the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 notified vide S.O. 3716(E). Conformity to the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of that Quality Control Order is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme. 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

7228 60 93

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 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 holding a current licence against the Indian Standard specified 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 · BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018, Scheme-I of Schedule-II
2
Ensure every 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 specific consignment and issued by the CM/L-holding facility, not a downstream agent.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024 · Schedule 1, column (3)
3
Confirm that sub-standard or defective material will be disposed of as scrap in compliance with clause (b) of sub-section (1) of Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016. Document the disposal undertaking before import; non-conforming goods cannot be sold or used in the Indian market.
Section 17(1)(b) of the BIS Act, 2016 (11 of 2016) · Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024
4
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Fee ₹500; the automatic registration number remains valid for 75 days. Ensure validity persists through the actual arrival date.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · Policy Condition 5 of Chapter 72
5
If the consignment is being imported without BIS licence or certification, apply on the TCQCO portal for a clarification as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023, and ensure compliance with CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025 on mapping of input material Indian Standards under the QCO.
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 · CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025; CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025

A word of counsel

A frequently overlooked trap on this tariff line is the gazette notification S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025, which suspends enforcement of specified serial numbers in Schedule 1 of the QCO for one year from the publication date. If the Indian Standard mapped to HSN 7228 60 93 falls at one of those suspended serial numbers, the BIS CM/L obligation is temporarily inoperative — but the SIMS registration and TCQCO portal obligations remain fully in force during the suspension period. Importers must cross-check the serial number in Schedule 1 against S.O. 5134(E) before every shipment rather than assuming a blanket suspension or blanket enforcement.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7228 60 93 require BIS certification?

Yes. Sulphur bearing alloy steel bars and rods under this tariff line must conform to the Indian Standard listed in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 under the ISI Mark Scheme, with import permitted only from CM/L-licensed manufacturers.

Is SIMS registration required separately from the BIS QCO obligation?

Yes. Steel Import Monitoring System registration is administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade independently of the BIS QCO. Fee ₹500, registration valid 75 days, applied no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival; SIMS carve-outs for re-import for packaging and SEZ-to-DTA movements do not waive the BIS ISI-mark requirement.

Does S.O. 5134(E) suspend BIS enforcement for this HSN?

Only if the Indian Standard mapped to this tariff line in Schedule 1 corresponds to one of the serial numbers listed in S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025; enforcement of those specific entries is suspended for one year from gazette publication. SIMS and TCQCO portal obligations are unaffected by the suspension.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all bar and rod dimensions from one manufacturer?

No. A CM/L licence is scope-specific by Indian Standard, product dimensions, and manufacturing facility; bars or rods outside the licensed scope or from an unlicensed plant are not covered and are liable to detention at port.

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