The Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) has issued Instruction No. 23/2025-Customs on July 15, 2025, modifying previous guidelines regarding the mandatory adherence to Indian Standards for imported steel and steel input materials. This follows an Order from the Ministry of Steel dated July 11, 2025.
The new instruction provides two key exemptions:
1. Exemption for Early Shipments: Imported steel products with a Bill of Lading indicating a “shipped on board” date on or before July 15, 2025, are exempt from the mandatory input steel adherence requirement.
2. Exemption for Integrated Steel Plants (ISPs): Final products supplied by ISPs are exempt from the mandatory input steel adherence, subject to verification of their licenses by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Pending BIS verification, ISPs can send a declaration and list of operative BIS licenses to the Ministry of Steel via email. However, any misdeclaration may lead to debarment from the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) portal. The Ministry of Steel will update the SIMS portal to accommodate ISPs.
CBIC has urged customs officers to be aware of these changes, which modify Instruction No. 16/2025-Customs dated June 18, 2025.
Instruction No. 23/2025-Customs Dated 15th July, 2025
F. No.401/24/2025-Cus.Ill
Government of India
Ministry of Finance,
Department of Revenue
(Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs)
Room No. 229A, North Block, New Delhi
*****
To
All Principal Chief Commissioners/ Chief Commissioners of Customs/ Customs (Preventive)/Customs & Central Taxes
All Pr. Commissioners/Commissioners of Customs /Customs (Preventive)
All Pr. Director General/Director Generals under CBIC
Subject: Ensuring adherence of Indian Standard of respective Input material of Steel and Steel Products intended for import which are notified in QCO and requires mandatory registration on SIMS portal – reg.
Madam/Sir,
Reference is invited to the Order dated 11.07.2025 issued by the Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Steel vide F.no. S-20011/15/2024-TECH (copy attached) and Instruction No. 16/2025-Customs dated 18.06.2025 on the above subject.
2. Vide the above Order dated 11.07.2025, the following exemptions have been granted in respect of Order of even number dated 13.06.2025:
i. The mandatory adherence requirement of input steel for imports of steel products with Bill of lading having shipped on board date on or before 15.07.2025 shall be exempted.
ii. The mandatory adherence requirement of input steel for the final products supplied by Integrated Steel Plants (ISPs) shall be exempted after verification of such licences by BIS. In the meantime, such ISPs can send a communication to Ministry of Steel on email tech-steel@nic.in, with the declaration that they are Integrated Steel Plant along with the list of operative BIS licences and relevant documents. Any misdeclaration may lead to debarment in SIMS. Ministry of Steel will make appropriate provisions in the SIMS portal for such ISPs.
3. In view of the above, it is requested that necessary action may be taken to sensitize officers under your jurisdiction regarding the said matter. Instruction No. 16/2025-Customs dated 18.06.2025 stands modified to that extent.
4. The difficulties, if any, may be brought to the notice of the Board.
Hindi version follows.
Yours faithfully,
Encls: as above.
(Neeraj Goyal)
OSD (Cus-III)
Copy to: – (for information and necessary action)
1. The Webmaster, CBIC.
F.no.S-20011/15/2024-TECH
Ministry of Steel
Government of India
Technical Division
Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi
Dated : 11 July , 2025
ORDER
In view of various representations and pursuant to decision taken by the competent authority, the following exemptions are hereby granted in respect of order of even number dated 13.06.2025:
I. The mandatory adherence requirement of input steel for imports of steel products with Bill of lading having shipped on board date on or before 15.07.2025 shall be exempted.
II. The mandatory adherence requirement of input steel for the final products supplied by Integrated Steel Plants (ISPs) shall be exempted after verification of such licences by BIS. In the meantime, such ISPs can send a communication to Ministry of Steel on email tech-steel@nic.in, with the declaration that they are Integrated Steel Plant along with the list of operative BIS licences and relevant documents. Any misdeclaration may lead to debarment in SIMS. Ministry of Steel will make appropriate provisions in the SIMS portal for such ISPs.
(G. Sarathy Raja)
Deputy Secretary to the Government of India
Tel: 23061064
Email: g.sarathyraja@gov.in
Copy to,
(a) The Chairman, CBIC, D/o Revenue, M/o Finance.
(b) The Director General , Bureau of Indian Standard.
