Import of All Steel Items (Ch 72, 73) and some Railway (Ch 86) must Register in SIMS from 16 Oct 2020

The government has now made it mandatory for traders to register themselves with the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) to import all iron and steel products as also certain railways related items, a move aimed at discouraging inbound shipments of such goods and promoting local manufacturing, a public notice issued on Monday said.

The mandatory registration was earlier imposed on about 300 items. Now about 530 more products have been added.

The restrictions were imposed on all products under chapter 72 (iron and steel), chapter 73 (articles of iron and steel) and chapter 86 (railway Or tramway locomotives, rolling-stock and parts; railway or tramway track fixtures and fittings; mechanical traffic signalling equipment of all kinds).

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), under the commerce ministry, said that "import" of these products "shall now require compulsory registration" under the SIMS.

These items include certain flat-rolled products; some stranded wire, ropes, cables; certain items of springs and leaves for springs of iron and steel; tubes, pipes and hollow profiles; diesel-electric locomotives; and some parts of railways.

SIMS, under the Department of Commerce, collects and publishes data of steel mill product imports.

In the public notice, the directorate said that the implementation date for this notification will be October 16.

"Bill of entry on or after October 16, 2020 shall require compulsory registration under SIMS," it said.

The communication also said that SIMS shall require importers ro submit advance information in an online system and obtain an automatic registration number by paying registration fee of Re 1 per thousand subject to minimum of Rs 500 and maximum of Rs 1 lakh on CIF (cost insurance freight) value.

The importer can apply for registration not earlier than 60th day and not later than 16th day before the expected date of arrival of import consignment.

The automatic registration number would be valid for 75 days.

[DGFT Notification No. 33/2015-2020 dated 28 September, 2020]

Effect of the Notification: Import under all HS codes of Chapters 72, 73 and 86 of ITC (HS), 2017 shall now require compulsory registration under the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS).

Subject: Insertion of Policy Condition regarding import under all HS codes in Chapter 72, 73 and 86 of ITC (HS), 2017 to require compulsory registration under Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS).

S.O.(E): In exercise of powers conferred by Section 3 of FT (D&R) Act, 1992, read with paragraph 1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-2020, as amended from time to time, the Central Government hereby adds a new Policy Condition in Chapter 72, 73 and 86 of ITC (HS), 2017, Schedule- I (Import Policy).

2. Vide Notification No.17/2015-2020 dated 05.09.2019, import policy of 284 specified HS codes under Chapter 72, 73 and 86 of ITC (HS), 2017 was changed from 'Free' to 'Free subject to compulsory registration under Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS)'.

3. Now, a new Policy Condition is being added as Policy Condition No. 5 in Chapter 72, as Policy Condition No. 2 in Chapter 73 and as Policy Condition No. 2 in Chapter 86 of ITC (HS), 2017, Schedule- I (Import Policy) for all these three chapters as follows:

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

This issues with the approval of Minister of Commerce & Industry.

(File No. 01/89/180/MONI-5852/AM-03/PC-2(A)/Part-1/E-18229)

[DGFT Public Notice No. 19/2015-2020 dated 28 September, 2020]

Effect of this Public Notice: Implementation date for additional HS codes covered under registration under Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) vide Notification No. 33/2015-20 dated 28.09.2020 shall be 16th October 2020 i.e. Bill of Entry on or after 16.10.2020 shall require compulsory registration under SIMS.

Subject: Date of implementation of Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) Registration for additional HS codes covered under SIMS Registration vide Notification No. 33/2015-20.

In exercise of powers conferred under paragraph 2.04 of the Foreign Trade Policy 2015-2020, the Director General of Foreign Trade hereby specifies the date of implementation of SIMS registration for import of HS codes under Chapter 72, 73 and 86 of ITC (HS), 2017, Schedule - I (Import Policy) other than HS codes covered under Notification No.17/2015-2020 dated 05.09.2019.

2. The implementation date for registration under Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) for import under HS codes (other than those already covered under SIMS Registration vide Notification No. 17/2015-2020 dated 05.09.2019) of Chapters 72, 73 and 86 of ITC (HS), 2017, Schedule-I (Import Policy) as notified vide Notification No. 33/2015-20 dated 28.09.2020 shall be 16th October 2020 i.e. Bill of Entry on or after 16.10.2020 shall require compulsory registration under SIMS.

3. The Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) shall require importers to submit advance information in an online system 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. Importer shall have to enter the Registration Number and Expiry date of Registration in the Bill of Entry to enable Customs for clearance of the consignment.

(File No. 01/89/180/MONI-5852/AM-03/PC-2(A)/PART-1/E-18229)