Tool and die steel

Tool and die steel bars and rods of alloy steel

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7228 60 94 (tool and die steel bars and rods) 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 by virtue of S.O. 3716(E). 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

7228 60 94

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS as per 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 mapped to tool and die steel 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
Ensure every bar and rod in the consignment bears the ISI standard mark under a valid CM/L licence. Each consignment must be accompanied by a test certificate bearing the standard mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer, as required under the QCO.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
3
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Fee ₹500, registration valid for 75 days; the registration must remain within validity on the date of arrival at the Indian port.
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 importing without a BIS licence or certification, apply for and obtain a clarification on the TCQCO portal for each consignment, as mandated by the Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023. Ensure compliance with the CBIC clarification on that circular.
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
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry. Comply with CBIC Instructions 16/2025-CUS and 23/2025-CUS on mandatory SIMS portal registration for steel products mapped under the QCO; absent, expired, or scope-mismatched documentation triggers consignment detention.
CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 · CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025 · BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962

A word of counsel

The single most consequential oversight on this tariff line is failing to confirm whether the specific serial-number entry covering this product in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO is among those whose enforcement has been suspended — either for one year or three years — under S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025. Importers who assume the 28-09-2020 enforcement date remains uniformly operative, without cross-checking the serial-number suspensions, risk either unnecessary CM/L sourcing costs or, conversely, non-compliance on entries whose suspension has lapsed.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7228 60 94 require BIS certification?

Yes. Tool and die steel bars and rods under this tariff line require Bureau of Indian Standards certification under the ISI Mark Scheme, with the manufacturer holding a valid CM/L licence against the Indian Standard in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 (S.O. 3716(E)).

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. Fee ₹500, validity 75 days, apply no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival; re-imports for packaging and certain SEZ movements are exempt from SIMS.

Does the S.O. 5134(E) suspension affect enforcement for this HSN?

S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 suspends enforcement for specific serial-number entries in Schedule 1 for periods of one or three years. Whether the entry mapped to this product is affected must be confirmed by checking the serial number in the current Schedule 1 against the suspension lists.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all tool and die steel grades and manufacturing facilities?

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

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