Importing Steel from China to India: Safeguard 11.5%, BCD, IGST & BIS Rules (2026)
Verified 2026-10-30 against official Indian and WTO sources. India has no FTA with China and now runs one of Asia's toughest duty stacks on flat steel: basic customs duty (7.5%), social welfare surcharge, a three-year safeguard duty of 11.5% (current year, stepping down from 12%), and 18% IGST — plus BIS quality certification as a hard market-entry gate. High-value imports above set CIF thresholds are exempt from the safeguard.
Import duty on steel
| HS heading | Product group | Import duty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7208 | Hot-rolled coils/sheets/plates (HRC) | BCD 7.5% + SWS + SG 11.5% + IGST 18% | Safeguard exempt at CIF ≥ US$675/t; SWS = 10% of BCD; SG = safeguard. |
| 7208 (plate mill) | Hot-rolled plate mill plates | BCD 7.5% + SWS + SG 11.5% + IGST 18% | Safeguard threshold US$695/t CIF. |
| 7209 | Cold-rolled coils/sheets (CRC) | BCD 7.5% + SWS + SG 11.5% + IGST 18% | Safeguard threshold US$824/t CIF. |
| 7210 | Metallic-coated flat (galvanised, al-zinc) | BCD 7.5–15% + SWS + SG 11.5% + IGST 18% | Safeguard threshold US$861/t CIF. |
| 7210 (colour) | Colour-coated coils/sheets | BCD 7.5–15% + SWS + SG 11.5% + IGST 18% | Safeguard threshold US$964/t CIF. |
| 7225 | Alloy flat: wear plate, high-strength plate | BCD 7.5–10% + SWS + SG 11.5% + IGST 18% | Within safeguard headings 7225; BIS QCO IS standards are mandatory per grade. |
Anti-dumping & trade-remedy measures in force
India's flat-steel trade defence has two live layers:
- Safeguard duty (definitive) — imposed 30 December 2025 for three years on non-alloy and alloy steel flat products under HS 7208, 7209, 7210, 7211, 7212, 7225 and 7226: 12% (21 Apr 2025–20 Apr 2026), 11.5% (to 20 Apr 2027), 11% (to 20 Apr 2028). Imports at or above the CIF thresholds — US$675/t HRC, US$695/t heavy plate, US$824/t CRC, US$861/t metallic-coated, US$964/t colour-coated — are exempt. Stainless, electrical steel, tinplate and special alloys are outside the scope.
- Anti-dumping — company/product-specific ADDs continue in parallel; the newest is cold-rolled non-oriented electrical steel from China at US$223.82–414.92/MT (December 2025). Several DGTR cases against Chinese steel lines are in various stages.
The safeguard is a price-floor design: premium Chinese material above the thresholds enters without it, which is exactly where wear plate and high-strength grades compete.
How the duties stack up — landed-cost cascade
Worked example — US$600/t HRC, below the US$675 threshold: BCD 7.5% = US$45 → SWS 10% of BCD = US$4.50 → safeguard 11.5% on CIF = US$69 → IGST 18% on the cumulative US$718.50 = US$129.33 → landed taxes ≈ US$247.8/t (+41.3% of CIF). The same cargo at US$680/t CIF skips the safeguard entirely (−11.5 percentage points). For wear plate priced above US$675/t, the safeguard layer usually falls away — the duty stack becomes BCD + SWS + IGST only.
Documents & certificates you need
- Importer IEC (Import Export Code) — mandatory before any Indian customs filing.
- BIS certification: Quality Control Orders make 150+ IS standards compulsory for steel; each grade needs a BIS licence before arrival — this is the real lead-time item (plan 8–12 weeks).
- SIMS registration on the steel import monitoring portal for most steel lines.
- Commercial documents: invoice, packing list, BL, plus MTC per heat.
- GST registration to claim the 18% IGST credit.
Official sources for this page
- Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) — BCD/SWS/IGST notifications
- DGTR — Directorate General of Trade Remedies — safeguard & anti-dumping investigations
- Bureau of Indian Standards — QCO standards & licensing
- ICEGATE — Indian customs e-filing — import declarations
- WTO Tariff Download Facility — applied MFN rates
Every figure above was re-checked against these portals on 2026-10-30. Safeguard thresholds and BIS QCO scopes change by notification — confirm your grade's IS standard and CIF band before quoting.
Change log — what moved, and when
| Date | Change (source: CBIC / DGTR notifications) |
|---|---|
| 2025-12-30 | Definitive safeguard duty notified: 12% (to 20 Apr 2026), 11.5% (to 20 Apr 2027), 11% (to 20 Apr 2028) on HS 7208/7209/7210/7211/7212/7225/7226, with CIF price thresholds (HRC US$675/t). |
| 2025-12 | Anti-dumping duty imposed on cold-rolled non-oriented electrical steel from China: US$223.82–414.92/MT (DGTR final findings of 19 Sep 2025). |
| 2025-04-21 | Provisional 12% safeguard duty imposed for 200 days on the same flat-steel headings (Notification 01/2025-Customs (SG)). |
India steel import FAQ
Does the safeguard duty apply to expensive wear plate?
Usually not. The safeguard has CIF thresholds — US$675/t for HRC, up to US$964/t for colour-coated. Imports at or above threshold enter without the safeguard (BCD + SWS + IGST still apply). Most branded wear plate and high-strength grades clear the thresholds, which is why India remains a live market for them.
What is BIS certification and how long does it take?
BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) licences each steel grade against its compulsory IS standard under Quality Control Orders. Plan 8–12 weeks including factory audit and testing. Without the BIS mark, customs will not release the cargo — it is a hard gate, not a formality.
Is there any FTA that reduces Indian duties on Chinese steel?
No. India has no trade agreement with China, and the safeguard specifically targets Chinese-origin material. Routing through a third country to claim another FTA is treated as circumvention and risks retroactive duty demands.
How current is this page?
Verified 2026-10-30. The safeguard steps down to 11% on 21 April 2027; DGTR has several open steel cases. We re-verify thresholds and case status before every India quote.
Sources & verification
- 1Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC)
- 2DGTR — Directorate General of Trade Remedies
- 3Bureau of Indian Standards
- 4ICEGATE — Indian customs e-filing
- 5WTO Tariff Download Facility
Figures on this page were verified on 2026-10-30 against the official sources below. Data is reviewed and re-verified monthly; dates of each review are shown on this page.
