Ministry of Steel Eases Rules for Import of Steel Grades Not Covered Under QCOs

Key Points

1. Ministry of Steel eased rules for import of steel grades not covered under QCOs on **November 20, 2025**.
2. A circular dated **October 20, 2023**, previously required clarification or NOC from the Ministry of Steel for importing steel grades not under QCOs.
3. The High-Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms (**HLC-NFRR**) recommended removing the requirement for clarification or NOC for steel grades not covered by QCOs.
4. Steel grades not covered under any QCO have been mapped on the Steel Import Monitoring System (**SIMS**) Portal.
5. Steel grades covered under Quality Control Orders (**QCO**) must be imported from manufacturers with valid BIS licenses.
6. An exemption mechanism exists for importing QCO-covered steel grades from manufacturers without BIS licenses, examined by a committee constituted on **May 14, 2020**.
7. The committee includes representatives from the Bureau of Indian Standards (**BIS**), Directorate General of Foreign Trade (**DGFT**), and domain experts.