Indian Government Streamlined the Regulatory Framework for Steel Imports

To enhance ease of doing business and simplify the regulatory environment, the Ministry of Steel has undertaken a comprehensive review of existing requirements related to steel imports. This includes reassessing the provision introduced through the Circular dated 20 October 2023, which mandated importers to obtain clarification or a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry for steel grades not covered under any Quality Control Order (QCO).

Removal of NOC Requirement for Non-QCO Steel Grades

Acting on the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms (HLC-NFRR), the Ministry has decided that steel grades falling outside the scope of any QCO will no longer require a clarification or NOC from the Ministry of Steel.

To operationalise this change, all such non-QCO steel grades across all HSN Codes applicable to the Ministry have been mapped onto the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) Portal. Importers can now directly generate SIMS numbers for these grades without needing any reference or approval from the Ministry.

Import Requirements for QCO-Covered Steel Grades

As per existing Quality Control Orders, imports of steel grades covered under QCOs are permitted only from manufacturers holding valid and active BIS licences for the relevant grades. However, where imports are proposed from manufacturers lacking BIS certification, an exemption mechanism is already available to facilitate such cases.

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Existing Exemption Mechanism for Non-BIS Manufacturers

Applications seeking exemption for importing QCO-covered grades from non-BIS licensee manufacturers are evaluated by a Committee established under Order No. 1(9)/2019-TD dated 14 May 2020. This Committee includes representatives from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), and domain experts.

The Committee will continue to assess these applications and determine the eligibility for granting exemptions for the import of QCO-regulated steel products produced by non-BIS-certified units.

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