Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS)

Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) Explained

The Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) is a compulsory advance registration for iron and steel imports into India. Importers submit advance information online and get an automatic registration number before the goods arrive, DGFT Notification No. 17/2015-20 dated 5 September 2019, para (c). Since 25 July 2024, SIMS applications are filed on the Ministry of Steel portal, sims.steel.gov.in, DGFT Trade Notice No. 10/2024-25. Paper imports have a sister system: see our guide to PIMS registration for paper imports.

DGFT Notification No. 17/2015-20 made SIMS registration compulsory for steel items in Chapters 72, 73 and 86 of the ITC (HS), and the Ministry of Steel SIMS FAQ (Q2) says it now applies to goods under any HS code of those three chapters. Customs needs the SIMS number and its expiry date in the Bill of Entry to clear the goods, Notification No. 17/2015-20 para (d). You can register from the 60th day until the 3rd day before the expected date of arrival, or until the 2nd day in three cases: imports from Nepal, Bhutan or Sri Lanka, specified ferrous scrap codes of heading 7204 and SEZ or EOU clearances into the domestic tariff area, Ministry of Steel Notice No. S-21022/9/2025-TRADE-TAX dated 19 February 2026 (in force from 20 February 2026) and SIMS FAQ Q8.

Which Steel Products Require SIMS Registration?

SIMS covers goods classified under any HS code of Chapters 72, 73 and 86 of the ITC (HS) 2022, Ministry of Steel SIMS FAQ Q2. Chapter 72 is iron and steel, Chapter 73 is articles of iron or steel and Chapter 86 covers railway and tramway rolling stock and track fixtures. That takes in flat rolled products (hot rolled, cold rolled, coated), long products (bars, rods, angles, sections, wire), pipes, tubes, semi-finished steel and stainless or alloy steel. Check your exact HS code before you file, because the SIMS FAQ (Q18) makes it a required field.

SIMS Registration Process

Step 1: Register as an importer on sims.steel.gov.in with your Importer Exporter Code (IEC), SIMS FAQ Q4. Step 2: Keep the invoice, Bill of Lading, Mill Testing Certificate (MTC), consignment ID and, where they apply, the BIS licence and IS code ready, SIMS FAQ Q3. File one application for each item of import; several numbers can be generated in one login when an invoice has more than one item, SIMS FAQ Q6. Step 3: Pay the fee online. The SIMS number is created immediately after you complete the application and the payment succeeds, SIMS FAQ Q20. Step 4: Enter the SIMS number and its expiry date in the Bill of Entry, DGFT Notification No. 17/2015-20 para (d). Step 5: Check every field before you submit, because a SIMS registration cannot be amended or cancelled, SIMS FAQ Q10 and Q27.

Key Compliance Points

Validity: A SIMS number is valid for 75 days from the date of issue, SIMS FAQ Q9. That has been the validity from the start: DGFT Notification No. 17/2015-20 para (c) set 75 days, and the 60th day before arrival is the earliest day you can apply, not a validity period. Multiple consignments: Once you hold a SIMS number, any number of consignments can be imported against it within its validity, CBIC Customs Manual 2025 para 14.2 (CBIC Circular No. 38/2019-Customs dated 21 November 2019). SARAL SIMS: Small consignments of up to 10 MT each (within 1,000 MT a financial year) and imports under Advance Authorisation, SEZ or EOU for export purposes can use one SARAL SIMS registration for the financial year instead, with a return of actual imports due by 30 April of the next year, Ministry of Steel Notice No. S-21022/9/2025-TRADE-TAX dated 20 November 2025. Amendment: None. The SIMS FAQ answers “No” to amending or cancelling a registration, Q10 and Q27.

Common SIMS Challenges

HS code classification errors are the biggest risk. Declaring the wrong HS code on SIMS registration versus the actual Bill of Entry leads to customs holds. Steel grade and specification mismatches between the registration and actual goods cause verification delays. Late registration is measured against the expected date of arrival, not the sailing date: the window closes on the 3rd day before expected arrival (the 2nd day in the listed cases), SIMS FAQ Q8. Registering too early has its own cost, because the 75 day validity runs from the date of issue, not the arrival date, SIMS FAQ Q9.

Quantity or item errors cannot be corrected on the same registration, because the SIMS FAQ rules out amendment (Q10), so check the invoice and Mill Testing Certificate before you pay. For importers handling multiple steel shipments monthly, managing SIMS timelines and quantities across registrations becomes operationally complex.

How RASP International Helps

We handle the complete SIMS compliance process: accurate HS code classification based on steel specifications, registration aligned with your shipping schedules, customs clearance coordination with SIMS registration details and ongoing monitoring of SIMS policy changes that affect your import planning.

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