Other

Iron or steel drums, casks and containers of 50 litres or more

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7310 10 90 (iron or steel drums, casks and similar containers of 50 litres or more) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order under S.O. 3716(E). Goods in this tariff line must be manufactured from ISI-marked tin plate or tin free steel input material and must themselves bear the ISI mark under the ISI Mark Scheme. 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

7310 10 90

Chapter

73 · Articles of iron or steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS per Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024 · effective 14-11-2021

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
Confirm that the foreign manufacturer holds a current BIS CM/L licence under Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018, covering this container product. 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 · BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
2
Verify that the input material — tin plate or tin free steel corresponding to serial numbers 108 and 109 of Schedule 1 of the QCO — itself bears the ISI mark under a BIS licence. Obtain the test certificate for the input material and retain it as part of the import documentation package.
Schedule 2 (serial numbers 3–7) read with Schedule 1 (serial numbers 108–109) of the Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
3
Ensure each container bears the ISI standard 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; packaging-only marking is insufficient.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024
4
Register 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. Note that the 15-day advance-registration minimum has been abolished. SEZ-DTA movements and re-imports for packaging only are exempt from SIMS.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · DGFT Notification 19/2015-20 dated 07-07-2022 · DGFT Policy Circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022
5
Check the Ministry of Steel exemption order before shipment: consignments with a bill of lading shipped-on-board date on or before 31-03-2026 and listed in Annexure I of the MoS order are exempt from mandatory QCO compliance for import. If the consignment is not exempt, quote the BIS CM/L number and SIMS registration number on the bill of entry. Compliance queries on unlicensed consignments must be raised on the TCQCO portal per CBIC Instructions 16/25-CUS and 23/25-CUS.
MoS Order F.No.S-20011/15/2024-TECH-PART(2) dated 20-11-2025 · CBIC Instruction 16/25-CUS dated 18-06-2025 · CBIC Instruction 23/25-CUS dated 15-07-2025

A word of counsel

The most common failure on this tariff line is treating the finished-goods ISI mark as the sole compliance obligation while overlooking the mandatory input-material traceability requirement. Schedule 2 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO 2024 specifically requires that tin plate and tin free steel inputs (Schedule 1, serial numbers 108–109) also carry ISI certification and that a test certificate for those inputs accompanies the consignment. A shipment that arrives with a CM/L-marked finished container but without the input-material test certificate is liable to detention at port, regardless of the finished-product ISI mark.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 7310 10 90 require BIS certification?

Yes. Containers under this tariff line must bear the ISI mark under the ISI Mark Scheme by virtue of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order 2024 (S.O. 3716(E)); import from a manufacturer without a current BIS CM/L licence is not permitted.

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 obligation. Fee ₹500, validity 75 days; apply no earlier than 60 days before the expected arrival date.

Are any shipments under this tariff line currently exempt from the QCO requirement?

Consignments listed in Annexure I of the MoS order (F.No.S-20011/15/2024-TECH-PART(2) dated 20-11-2025) with a bill of lading shipped-on-board date on or before 31 March 2026 are exempt. Importers must confirm whether their specific ITC HS code appears in that Annexure before relying on the carve-out.

Does a single CM/L licence cover containers of all sizes and from all facilities of the same manufacturer?

No. A CM/L licence is scope-specific by product specification, capacity range, and licensed manufacturing facility; containers outside that scope or from an unlicensed plant are not covered.

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