Ministry Exempts Specific ITC HS Codes from Mandatory QCO Requirements - Detailed Information

To ease trade continuity and alleviate import difficulties, the Ministry of Steel has announced significant relief for importers of some steel products. Based on numerous industry representations and an official decision by the competent authority, the Government of India has exempted certain ITC HS codes from the mandatory compliance of Quality Control Orders (QCOs).

According to the notification dated 6 October 2025, the steel products under the HS codes listed in Annexure I will not be required to comply with the Quality Control Orders (QCOs), provided they have been shipped on or before 31st October 2025. The Bill of Lading must indicate that the consignment is "on board" on or before 31st October 2025.

In effect, if you have imported any of the steel items specified in the list, and the consignment has shipped from the exporting country on or before 31st October 2025, compliance with the QCO is not required for that consignment.

Key Highlights of the Exemption of ITC HS Codes

Let us recap the main points regarding certain ITC HS Codes from mandatory compliance.

• Scope of Exemption: The ITC HS Codes identified in Annexure I (below) are exempt from the requirement to follow the QCOs (Quality Control Orders) issued by the Government of India for that steel under ISI Mark Certification - Scheme I.
• Effective Date / Condition: For the ITC HS Codes stated above, the mandatory requirement for compliance with QCOS is exempt only if the Bill of Lading indicates a "shipped on board" date on or before October 31, 2025.
• Rationale: The exemption is intended to allow for the practical difficulties faced by importers, to allow for continuity of trade, and to ease the transition to stricter quality standards without penalizing the shipments already in transit.
• Authority & Notification: This order has been passed onto the appropriate government agencies, including CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs), and/including the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). 

Annexure I – Exempted IS Standards and Corresponding ITC HS Codes

List of IS Standards, Descriptions & Corresponding ITC HS Codes exempted

Considerations for Importers and the Industry

Now, let’s review the points to see what Importers and manufacturers should consider after this order:

Importers of the exempted items of the mentioned HS Code whose goods were shipped on or before 31 October 2025 will not be required to meet the QCO for those shipments under the FMCS Certification Scheme.
Importers with shipments shipped after 31 October 2025 are fully subject to meet the QCO for those HS codes, unless further relief is announced at a later time.
The move is expected to eliminate bottlenecks, alleviate import clearances, and minimize disruptions to industries impacted by steel products.
Stakeholders should continue to monitor official announcements and also the Ministry of Steel’s QCO page for updates.