New Delhi: The Ministry of Steel on Thursday announced key procedural changes aimed at simplifying steel import requirements and improving ease of doing business, particularly for grades not covered under existing Quality Control Orders (QCOs).
Following a comprehensive review of import procedures, the Ministry said that steel grades not regulated by any QCO will no longer require a clarification or No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry. The earlier requirement, introduced through a circular on 20 October 2023, has now been withdrawn based on recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms (HLC-NFRR).
To operationalise the decision, all non-QCO steel grades across relevant HSN codes have been mapped on the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) portal. Importers can now directly generate SIMS numbers for these grades without seeking any reference or approval from the Ministry of Steel.
For steel grades covered under QCOs, the Ministry reiterated that imports may only be sourced from manufacturers holding valid BIS licences. However, an exemption mechanism remains in place for cases where imports are proposed from non-licensed manufacturers. These applications are examined by a committee constituted in May 2020, comprising representatives from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), and technical experts.
The committee will continue to assess exemption requests and issue approvals where eligible. Importers seeking exemptions for QCO-covered steel products may submit applications through the dedicated portal.
The Ministry said the revised framework is expected to streamline compliance, reduce procedural delays, and support industry requirements for specialised steel grades not falling under mandatory quality control norms.
