Adherence to Indian Standards for Steel Inputs Notified in QCO – SIMS Registration Mandatory.

The Ministry of Steel, in consultation with CBIC, has provided much-needed clarity regarding the applicability of Indian Standard compliance for imported steel inputs. This comes through Order dated 11th July 2025 (F. No. S-20011/15/2024-TECH), in continuation of Instruction No. 16/2025-Customs dated 18th June 2025, and is expected to streamline compliance and reduce bottlenecks in the import and manufacturing processes involving steel.

What’s New?

Two major exemptions have been introduced to relax the mandatory adherence requirements under the earlier Order dated 13th June 2025:

1. Exemption for Imports Shipped On or Before 15th July 2025

Imported steel products with a Bill of Lading indicating “shipped on board” date on or before 15th July 2025 are now exempted from mandatory Indian Standard (IS) compliance for input steel materials.
✔️ This helps clear transitional shipments already in transit before the compliance date.

2. Exemption for Integrated Steel Plants (ISPs)

Final products manufactured and supplied by Integrated Steel Plants (ISPs) are exempted from the input steel compliance requirement, subject to verification of their BIS licenses.

📝 In the interim, ISPs are advised to:

• Send a formal declaration to the Ministry of Steel at tech-steel@nic.in
• Include a list of operative BIS licences and supporting documents
  ⚠️ Misdeclaration may lead to debarment from the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS).

The Ministry will also make necessary provisions in the SIMS portal to facilitate this declaration and exemption process.

 Action Required

Customs officers and field formations are requested to:

• Take note of these exemptions
• Sensitize officers under their jurisdiction about the modified compliance norms

🔁 Accordingly, Instruction No. 16/2025-Customs stands modified to this extent.

📌 Summary of Key Changes

Conclusion

These exemptions are a welcome move for importers and manufacturers navigating the Indian steel quality control framework. By acknowledging practical challenges and enabling transitional relief, the Ministry of Steel ensures smoother implementation of QCO (Quality Control Orders) without disrupting legitimate trade.