Truss rods

Truss rods of iron or steel for structural use

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 1161 · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7308 90 60 (truss rods) 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 [S.O. 281(E)]. 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

7308 90 60

Chapter

73 · Articles of iron or steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 1161:2014 · effective 21-01-2020

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 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
2
Ensure every truss rod bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number, marked on the product itself and traceable to the licensed manufacturing facility. Marking on packaging alone does not satisfy the statutory requirement.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Steel Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2020
3
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. The registration fee is ₹500, and the automatic registration number remains valid for 75 days from issue; it must be within validity on the date of arrival.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023; ITC (HS) policy condition 2 of Chapter 73
4
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the SIMS automatic 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; an absent, expired, or scope-mismatched CM/L or SIMS number triggers consignment detention.
Steel Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962
5
If the consignment is a re-import of steel for packaging purposes only, or an SEZ-to-DTA movement without value addition, document the SIMS exemption basis. 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

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is classifying octagonal steel columns for lamp posts under HSN 7308 90 60 rather than HSN 7308 90 90, to which Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs Circular 17/13-CUS dated 11-04-2013 assigns them. An importer who books lamp-post columns under 7308 90 60 and obtains IS 1161:2014 CM/L certification for structural steel tubes has invested in the wrong licence — the reclassification at customs triggers a fresh compliance assessment, demurrage, and potential misdeclaration proceedings.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7308 90 60 require BIS certification?

Yes. Truss rods under this tariff line must conform to IS 1161:2014 under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 21 January 2020; import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence covering the relevant product scope and facility.

Is SIMS registration required separately from BIS QCO compliance?

Yes. SIMS registration is administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 and is independent of the BIS QCO obligation. The fee is ₹500, the registration is valid for 75 days, and the application may be submitted no earlier than 60 days before arrival.

Are octagonal steel columns for lamp posts classified under HSN 7308 90 60?

No. Per Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs Circular 17/13-CUS dated 11-04-2013, octagonal steel columns for lamp posts are classifiable under HSN 7308 90 90, not 7308 90 60; a separate compliance assessment applies to that tariff line.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all tube sizes and structural specifications under IS 1161:2014?

No. A CM/L licence is scope-specific by size range, specification, and manufacturing facility; truss rods outside the licensed dimensions or from an unlicensed plant are not covered and customs detains the consignment on a scope mismatch.

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