Tubular steel poles for electric transmission and distribution lines
Tubular steel poles for electric transmission and distribution lines
HSN 7308 90 70 (tubular steel poles for electric transmission and distribution lines) 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, and licensed facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.Steel Tubes (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 281(E) dated 21-01-2020
- 2Ensure every pole bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number under Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. 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. Fee ₹500, registration valid for 75 days from issue; the registration must remain within validity on the date of arrival.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, 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 either SIMS carve-out — the ISI-marked product requirement still applies.DGFT policy circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022
The single most common error on this tariff line is treating tubular steel poles for transmission and distribution lines as interchangeable with octagonal steel columns for lamp posts. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs Circular 17/13-CUS dated 11-04-2013 specifically classifies octagonal lamp-post columns under HSN 7308 90 90, not HSN 7308 90 70; an importer who declares octagonal lamp-post columns under this CTI faces reclassification, differential duty demand, and a fresh BIS QCO compliance cycle on the reclassified consignment. Confirm the pole geometry and end-use — transmission and distribution line application — in the supplier's technical data sheet before filing the bill of entry.