ITC (HS), 2022
SCHEDULE 1 – IMPORT POLICY

SECTION XV
BASE METALS AND ARTICLES OF BASE METAL NOTES:

(a)    Prepared paints, inks or other products with a basis of metallic flakes or powder (headings 3207 to 3210, 3212, 3213 or 3215);

(b)   Ferro-cerium or other pyrophoric alloys (heading 3606);

(c)    Headgear or parts thereof of heading 6506 or 6507;

(d)   Umbrella frames or other articles of heading 6603;

(e)    Goods of Chapter 71 (for example, precious metal alloys, base metal clad with precious metal, imitation jewellery);

(f)    Articles of Section XVI (machinery, mechanical appliances and electrical goods);

(g)   Assembled railway or tramway track (heading 8608) or other articles of Section XVII (vehicles, ships and boats, aircraft);

(h) Instruments or apparatus of Section XVIII, including clock or watch springs;

(ij) Lead shot prepared for ammunition (heading 9306) or other articles of Section XIX (arms and ammunition);

(k) Articles of Chapter 94 (for example, furniture, mattress supports, luminaires and lighting fittings, illuminated signs, prefabricated buildings);

(l) Articles of Chapter 95 (for example, toys, games, sports requisites); (m) Hand sieves, buttons, pens, pencil-holders, pen nibs, monopods, bipods, tripods and similar articles or other articles of Chapter 96 (miscellaneous manufactured articles); or (n) Articles of Chapter 97 (for example, works of art).

2. Throughout this Schedule, the expression “parts of general use” means:

(a) articles of heading 7307, 7312, 7315, 7317 or 7318 and similar articles of other base metal, other than articles specially designed for use exclusively in implants in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences (heading 9021);

(b)   Springs and leaves for springs, of base metal, other than clock or watch springs (heading 9114); and

(c)    Articles of headings 8301, 8302, 8308, 8310 and frames and mirrors, of base metal, of heading 8306.

In Chapters 73 to 76 and 78 to 82 (but not in heading 7315) references to parts of goods do not include references to parts of general use as defined above. Subject to the preceding paragraph and to Note 1 to Chapter 83, the articles of Chapter 82 or 83 are excluded from Chapters 72 to 76 and 78 to 81.

4. Throughout this Schedule, the term “cermets” means products containing a microscopic heterogenous combination of a metallic component and a ceramic component. The term “cermets” includes sintered metal carbides (metal carbides sintered with a metal).

5. Classification of alloys (other than ferro-alloys and master alloys as defined in Chapters 72 and 74):

(a)    An alloy of base metals is to be classified as an alloy of the metal which predominates by weight over each of the other metals;

(b)   An alloy composed of base metals of this Section and of elements not falling within this Section is to be treated as an alloy of base metals of this Section if the total weight of such metals equals or exceeds the total weight of the other elements present;

(c)    In this Section the term “alloys” includes sintered mixtures of metal powders, heterogeneous intimate mixtures obtained by melting (other than cermets) and intermetallic compounds.

6. Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Schedule to a base metal includes a reference to alloys which, by virtue of Note 5 above, are to be classified as alloys of that metal.

7. Classification of composite articles:

Except where the headings otherwise require, articles of base metal (including articles of mixed materials treated as articles of base metal under the General Interpretative Rules containing two or more base metals are to be treated as articles of the base metal predominating by weight over each of the other metals.

For this purpose:

(a)    Iron and steel, or different kinds of iron or steel, are regarded as one and the same metal;

(b)   An alloy is regarded as being entirely composed of that metal as an alloy of which, by virtue of Note 5, it is classified; and

(c)    A cermet of heading 8113 is regarded as a single base metal.

8. In this Section, the following expressions have the meanings hereby assigned to them:

(a) Waste and scrap:

(i) all metal waste and scrap;
(ii) metal goods definitely not usable as such because of breakage, cutting-up, wear or other reasons.

(b) Powders: products of which 90% or more by weight passes through a sieve having a mesh aperture of 1 mm.

(a) Bars and rods

Rolled, extruded, drawn or forged products, not in coils, which have a uniform solid crosssection along their whole length in the shape of circles, ovals, rectangles (including squares), equilateral triangles or regular convex polygons (including “flattened circles” and “modified rectangles”, of which two opposite sides are convex arcs, the other two sides being straight, of equal length and parallel). Products with a rectangular (including square), triangular or polygonal crosssection may have corners rounded along their whole length. The thickness of such products which have a rectangular (including “modified rectangular”) cross-section exceeds one-tenth of the width. The expression also covers cast or sintered products, of the same forms and dimensions, which have been subsequently worked after production (otherwise than by simple trimming or de-scaling), provided that they have not thereby assumed the character of articles or products of other headings.

Wire-bars and billets of Chapter 74 with their ends tapered or otherwise worked simply to facilitate their entry into machines for converting them into, for example, drawing stock (wire-rod) or tubes, are however to be taken to be unwrought copper of heading 7403. This provision applies mutatis mutandis to the products of Chapter 81.

(b) Profiles

Rolled, extruded, drawn, forged or formed products, coiled or not, of a uniform cross-section along their whole length, which do not conform to any of the definitions of bars, rods, wire, plates, sheets, strip, foil, tubes or pipes. The expression also covers cast or sintered products, of the same forms, which have been subsequently worked after production (otherwise than by simple trimming or de-scaling), provided that they have not thereby assumed the character of articles or products of other headings.

(c)Wire

Rolled, extruded or drawn products, in coils, which have a uniform solid cross-section along their whole length in the shape of circles, ovals, rectangles (including squares), equilateral triangles or regular convex polygons (including “flattened circles” and “modified rectangles”, of which two opposite sides are convex arcs, the other two sides being straight, of equal length and parallel). Products with a rectangular (including square), triangular or polygonal cross-section may have corners rounded along their whole length. The thickness of such products which have a rectangular (including “modified rectangular”) cross-section exceeds one-tenth of the width.

(d) Plates, sheets, strip and foil

Flat-surfaced products (other than the unwrought ⁴[prodoucts] ^old[products of heading 8001]), coiled or not, of solid rectangular (other than square) cross-section with or without rounded corners (including “modified rectangles” of which two opposite sides are convex arcs, the other two sides being straight, of equal length and parallel) of a uniform thickness, which are:

- of rectangular (including square) shape with a thickness not exceeding one-tenth of the width;
- of a shape other than rectangular or square, of any size, provided that they do not assume the character of articles or products of other headings.

Headings for plates, sheets, strip, and foil apply, inter alia, to plates, sheets, strip, and foil with patterns (for example, grooves, ribs, chequers, tears, buttons, lozenges) and to such products which have been perforated, corrugated, polished or coated, provided that they do not thereby assume the character of articles or products of other headings.

(e) Tubes and pipes

Hollow products, coiled or not, which have a uniform cross-section with only one enclosed void along their whole length in the shape of circles, ovals, rectangles (including squares), equilateral triangles or regular convex polygons, and which have a uniform wall thickness. Products with a rectangular (including square), equilateral triangular or regular convex polygonal cross-section, which may have corners rounded along their whole length, are also to be considered as tubes and pipes provided the inner and outer cross-sections are concentric and have the same form and orientation. Tubes and pipes of the fore going cross-sections may be polished, coated, bent, threaded, drilled, waisted, expanded, cone-shaped or fitted with flanges, collars or rings.

CHAPTER 72
IRON AND STEEL

NOTES:

1. In this Chapter and, in the case of Notes (d), (e) and (f) throughout this Schedule, the following expressions have the meanings hereby assigned to them:

(a) Pig Iron:

Iron-carbon alloys not usefully malleable, containing more than 2% by weight of carbon and which may contain by weight one or more other elements within the following limits:

-          not more than 10% of chromium

-          not more than 6% of manganese

-          not more than 3% of phosphorus

-          not more than 8% of silicon         

-          a total of not more than 10% of other elements

(b) Spiegeleisen:

Iron-carbon alloys containing by weight more than 6% but not more than 30% of manganese and otherwise conforming to the specification at (a) above.

(c) Ferro-alloys:

Alloys in pigs, blocks, lumps or similar primary forms, in forms obtained by continuous casting and also in granular or powder forms, whether or not agglomerated, commonly used as an additive in the manufacture of other alloys or as de-oxidants, de-sulphurising agents or for similar uses in ferrous metallurgy and generally not usefully malleable, containing by weight 4% or more of the element iron and one or more of the following:

-          more than 10% of chromium

-          more than 30% of manganese

-          more than 3% of phosphorus

-          more than 8% of silicon

-          a total of more than 10% of other elements, excluding carbon, subject to a maximum content of 10% in the case of copper.

(d) Steel:

Ferrous materials other than those of heading 7203 which (with the exception of certain types produced in the form of castings) are usefully malleable and which contain by weight 2% or less of carbon. However, chromium steels may contain higher proportions of carbon.

(e) Stainless Steel:

Alloy steels containing, by weight, 1.2% or less of carbon and 10.5% or more of chromium, with or without other elements.

(f) Other Alloy Steel:

Steels not complying with the definition of stainless steel and containing by weight one or more of the following elements in the proportion shown:

-          0.3% or more of aluminum

-          0.0008% or more of boron

-          0.3% or more of chromium

-          0.3% or more of cobalt

-          0.4% or more of copper

-          0.4% or more of lead

-          1.65% or more of manganese

-          0.08% or more of molybdenum

-          0.3% or more of nickel

-          0.06% or more of niobium

-          0.6% or more of silicon

-          0.05% or more of titanium

-          0.3% or more of tungsten (wolfram)

-          0.1% or more of vanadium

-          0.05% or more of zirconium

-          0.1% or more of other elements (except sulphur, phosphorus, carbon and nitrogen), taken separately.

(g) Remelting Scrap Ingots of Iron and Steel:

Products roughly cast in the form of ingots without feeder-heads or hot tops, or of pigs, having obvious surface faults and not complying with the chemical composition of pig iron, spiegeleisen or Ferro-alloys.

(h) Granules:

Products of which less than 90% by weight passes through a sieve with a mesh aperture of 1 mm and of which 90% or more by weight passes through a sieve with a mesh aperture of 5 mm.

(ij) Semi-finished Products:

Continuous cast products of solid section, whether or not subjected to primary hot-rolling; and other products of solid sections, which have not been further worked than subjected to primary hot-rolling or roughly shaped by forging, including blanks for angles, shapes or sections. These products are not presented in coils.

(k) Flat-rolled Products:

Rolled products of solid rectangular (other than square) cross-section, which do not conform to the definition at (ij) above in the form of:

-       coils of successively superimposed layers, or

-       straight lengths, which if of a thickness less than 4.75 mm are of width measuring at least ten times the thickness or if of a thickness of 4.75 mm or more are of a width which exceeds 150 mm and measures at least twice the thickness.

Flat-rolled products include those with patterns in relief derived directly from rolling (for example, grooves, ribs, chequers, tears, buttons, and lozenges) and those, which have been perforated, corrugated or polished, provided that they do not thereby assume the character of articles or products of other headings.

Flat-rolled products of a shape other than rectangular or square, of any size, are to be classified as products of a width of 600 mm or more, provided that they do not assume the character of articles or products of other headings.

(l) Bars and Rods, Hot-rolled, in irregularly wound coils:

Hot-rolled products in irregularly wound coils, which have a solid cross-section in the shape of circles, segments of circles, ovals, rectangles (including squares), triangles, or other convex polygons (including “flattened circles” and “modified rectangles”, of which two opposite sides are convex arcs, the other two sides being straight, of equal length and parallel). These products may have indentations, ribs, grooves or other deformations produced during the rolling process (reinforcing bars and rods).

(m) Other Bars and Rods:

Products which do not conform to any of the definitions at (ij), (k) or (l) above or to the definition of wire, which have a uniform solid cross-section along their whole length in the shape of circles, segments of

circles, ovals, rectangles (including squares), triangles or other convex polygons (including “flattened circles” and “modified rectangles”, of which two opposite sides are convex arcs, the other two sides being straight, of equal length and parallel). The products may:

-          have   indentations,   ribs,   grooves   or   other   deformations produced during the rolling process (reinforcing bars and rods):

-          be twisted after rolling.

(n) Angles, Shapes and Sections:

Products having a uniform solid cross-section along their whole length which do not conform to any of the definitions at (ij), (k), (l) or (m) above or to the definition of wire.

Chapter 72 does not include products of heading 7301 or 7302.

(o) Wire:

Cold-formed products in coils, or any uniform solid cross-section along their whole length, which do not conform to the definition of flat-rolled products.

(p) Hollow Drill Bars and Rods:

Hollow bars and rods of any cross-section, suitable for drills, of which the greatest external dimension of the cross-section exceeds 15 mm but does not exceed 52 mm, and of which the greatest internal dimension does not exceed one half of the greatest external dimension. Hollow bars and rods of iron or steel not conforming to this definition are to be classified in heading 7304.

2. Ferrous metals clad with another ferrous metal are to be classified as products of the ferrous metal predominating by weight.

3. Iron or steel products obtained by electrolytic deposition, by pressure casting or by sintering are to be classified, according to their form, their composition and their appearance, in the headings of this Chapter appropriate to similar hot-rolled products.

SUB-HEADING NOTES:

1.  In this Chapter the following expressions have the meanings hereby assigned to them:

(a) Alloy Pig Iron: Pig iron containing, by weight, one ore more of the following elements

in the specified proportions:

-          more than 0.2% of chromium

-          more than 0.3% of copper

-          more than 0.3% of nickel

-          more than 0.1% of any of the following elements: aluminium, molybdenum, titanium, tungsten (wolfram) vanadium.

(b) Non-alloy free-cutting Steel:

Non-alloy steel containing, by weight, one or more of the following elements in the specified proportions:

-          0.08% or more of sulphur

-          0.1% or more of lead

-          more than 0.05% of selenium

-          more than 0.01% of tellurium

-          more than 0.05% of bismuth.

(c) Silicon-electrical Steel:

Alloy steels containing by weight at least 0.6% but not more than 6% of silicon and not more than 0.08% of carbon. They may also contain by weight not more than 1% of aluminium but no other element in a proportion that would give the steel the characteristics of another alloy steel.

(d) High Speed Steel:

Alloy steels containing, with or without other elements, at least two of the three elements molybdenum, tungsten and vanadium with a combined content by weight of 7% or more, 0.6% or more of carbon and 3 to 6% of chromium.

(e) Silico Manganese Steel:

Alloy steels containing by weight:

-          not more than 0.7% of carbon

-          0.5% or more but not more than 1.9% of manganese, and

-          0.6% or more but not more than 2.3% of silicon, but no other element in a proportion that would give the steel the characteristics of another alloy steel.

2. For the classification of ferro-alloys in the sub-headings of heading 7202 the following rule should be observed:

A Ferro-alloy is considered as binary and classified under the relevant sub-heading (if it exists) if only one of the alloy elements exceeds the minimum percentage laid down in Chapter Note 1(c); by analogy, it is considered respectively as ternary or quaternary if two or three alloy elements exceed the minimum percentage.

For the application of this rule the unspecified “other elements” referred to in Chapter Note 1(c) must each exceed 10% by weight.

Policy Conditions of this Chapter:

1. Seconds and defectives of items specified below is permitted for imports free except those in respect of which the c.i.f value of imports is below the value specified against each of these items:

2.        Prime steel items specified below are permitted for imports free, except those, in respect of which the c.i.f. value of imports is below the value specified against each of these items:

The price restrictions on prime steel items as above, has been withdrawn with effect from 1.1.2000 vide Notification No. 31 (RE-1999)/1997-2002 dated 1.11.1999. However, these restrictions shall apply to the extent specified in the order passed by the Hon’ble High Court at Madras on 21.1.2004 in W.P. No. 38864 and 38865 of 2003.

3. Import of seconds/defectives of steel items as mentioned at S1.No.1 to 7 of the notes at SI. No. 2 above, shall be allowed only through Customs sea port at  Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Nhava ShevaONPT) and at ICD- Tughlakabad, New Delhi. Import consignments of these items shall be accompanied by a pre-shipment certificate regarding description material quality, chemical analysis of the material, visual inspection, thickness and width of the material and the ITC (HS) code no. from any of the inspection agency as specified in Appendix 2G of the Appendices and Aayat Niryat Forms of FTP (2015-20).

4. (a) Items: As per the Annex.

(b) Policy Condition to Chapter 72, 73 and 86 of ITC (HS): Import Policy for the items as listed in the Annex has been revised from free to free subject to compulsory registration under Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS).

⁵[(c) The Steel Importing Monitoring System (SIMS) shall require importers to submit advance information in an online system for import of items and obtain an automatic Registration Number by paying registration fee of Rs.500 /- The importer can apply for registration not earlier than 60th day before the expected date of arrival of import consignment. The automatic Registration Number thus granted shall remain valid for a period of 75 days.]

^[helldodold[¹[(c) The Steel Importing Monitoring System (SIMS) shall require importers to submit advance information in an online system for import of items and obtain an automatic Registration Number by paying registration fee of Rs.1 per thousand subject to minimum of Rs. 500/ and maximum of Rs.1 lakh on CIF value. The importer can apply for registration not earlier than 60^th day before the expected date of arrival of import consignment. The automatic Registration Number thus granted shall remain valid for a period of 75 days.]^helldod]

^old[(c)  The Steel Importing Monitoring System (SIMS) shall require importers to submit advance information in an online system for import of items and obtain an automatic Registration Number by paying registration fee of Rs.1 per thousand subject to minimum of Rs. 500/ and maximum of Rs.1 lakh on CIF value. The importer can apply for registration not earlier than 60th day and not later than 15th day before the expected date of arrival of import consignment. The automatic Registration Number thus granted shall remain valid for a period of 75 days.]

(d) Importer shall have to enter the Registration Number and expiry date of Registration in the Bill of Entry to enable Customs for clearance of consignment.

(e) The SIMS will be effective from 21.11.2019, i.e. Bill of Entry on or after 21.11.2019 for items listed in the Annex to this Notification shall be governed by SIMS.

5. Import under all the HS codes of this Chapter shall require compulsory registration under Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS).

SUPPLIMENTARY NOTES:

1. Skelp means hot- rolled narrow strip of width not exceeding 600 mm with rolled (square, slightly round or bevelled) edge.

2. Ferrous metals clad with another ferrous metal are to be classified as products of the ferrous mental predominating by weight.

3. Iron and steel products obtained by electrolytic deposition, by pressure casting by sintering are to be classified, according to their form, their composition and their appearance, in the headings of this chapter appropriate to similar hot-rolled products.