Lattice masts

Lattice masts and towers of iron or steel

SIMS CLEARANCE

HSN 7308 20 20 (Lattice masts) requires compulsory advance registration under the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) per Policy Condition No. 2 of Chapter 73 and DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) administers SIMS as an import-monitoring overlay; importers must obtain an automatic SIMS registration number before the consignment arrives at the Indian port.

What this is

HSN code

7308 20 20

Chapter

73 · Articles of iron or steel

Primary regulator

SIMS · Policy Condition No. 2 of Chapter 73, ITC (HS) 2022; DGFT Notification 33/2015-20

Customs documentation

SIMS automatic registration number from DGFT
Registration fee receipt from SIMS portal
ITC (HS) policy compliance from DGFT

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

SIMSSIMS·Steel Import Monitoring System

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps

1
Register on the SIMS online portal and submit advance import information to obtain an automatic SIMS registration number. The application may be filed no earlier than the 60th day before the expected date of arrival, and the registration number remains valid for 75 days from grant.
DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · Policy Condition No. 2 of Chapter 73
2
Pay the registration fee of ₹500 at the time of SIMS registration. Note that the earlier requirement of a minimum 15-day advance registration before the expected date of arrival has been abolished; the registration number need only be obtained before the bill of entry is filed.
DGFT Notification 19/2015-20 dated 07-07-2022 · DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is misreading the SIMS carve-outs as broader than they are. Re-import of iron or steel goods solely for packaging purposes and DTA-SEZ-DTA movements (with or without value addition) are exempt from SIMS registration; but standard commercial imports of lattice masts — including those from third-country suppliers transiting an SEZ — are fully within scope. Filing a bill of entry without a live SIMS registration number triggers detention and demurrage until the registration is regularised.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7308 20 20 require BIS certification?

No, no BIS Quality Control Order covers lattice masts or towers under this tariff line. Import is governed instead by the Steel Import Monitoring System administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under Policy Condition No. 2 of Chapter 73 and DGFT Notification 33/2015-20.

How long is the SIMS registration number valid, and when can the application be filed?

The automatic SIMS registration number is valid for 75 days from the date of grant. The application may be submitted not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival of the import consignment, per DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023.

Are DTA-to-SEZ steel movements exempt from SIMS registration?

Yes. Per DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022, both DTA-to-SEZ-to-DTA movements without value addition and those with value addition are exempt from SIMS registration; similarly, re-imports of steel goods intended solely for packaging are excluded from SIMS scope.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: SIMS / DGFT / Indian Customs CUSDATA.