Beams, channels, pillars and girders prepared for use in structures
Steel beams, channels, pillars and girders for structures
HSN 7308 90 10 (steel beams, channels, pillars and girders prepared for use in structures) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 1161:2014 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 21 January 2020, by virtue of the Steel Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2020. Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) registration administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade applies as a separate customs-clearance overlay.
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
- 1Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against IS 1161:2014 for steel tubes for structural purposes. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, size range, and manufacturing facility address on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.Steel Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 281(E) dated 21-01-2020 · IS 1161:2014
- 2Ensure every consignment unit bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number under Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. The marking must appear on the product itself, not on packaging alone.Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Steel Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2020
- 3Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date. The registration fee is ₹500 and the automatic registration number remains valid for 75 days from issue.DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023
- 4Quote both the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry. Customs verifies the CM/L in real time against the BIS register and the SIMS registration against the DGFT portal; either being absent, expired, or scope-mismatched triggers consignment detention.ITC HS policy condition 2 of Chapter 73 · BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962
- 5If the consignment is a re-import of steel for packaging purposes only, or an SEZ-to-DTA movement without value addition, document the applicable SIMS exemption. The BIS QCO obligation under IS 1161:2014 is not waived by any SIMS carve-out — the ISI-marked product requirement continues to apply.DGFT policy circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022 · Steel Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2020
The single most common error on this tariff line is importing structural steel members without first confirming that the foreign supplier's CM/L licence specifically covers steel tubes for structural purposes against IS 1161:2014 — not a related steel-tube standard for a different application. A licence against a separate IS number, or one covering a different tube type or size range than the consignment, does not satisfy the Steel Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2020; the consignment will be detained regardless of SIMS registration status. Verify the licensed product scope and facility address, not merely the existence of any BIS licence, before the purchase order is placed.