Govt gives importers more leeway, extends stainless steel compliance deadline to March 2026

The government has extended exemption deadlines for certain steel imports by up to three months to ensure steady domestic availability, the Ministry of Steel said on Thursday.

A quality control order (QCOs) prevents non-BIS-compliant steel products from entering the Indian market.

In a statement, the ministry said exemptions from mandatory QCO compliance for specified steel products have now been extended to those shipped on or before March 31, 2026.

The ministry had earlier granted an exemption from mandatory compliance with the Quality Control Order for specified steel products for imports until October 31, 2025.

"The exemption has been extended to imports with Bill of Lading having shipped on board date on or before 31.03.2026," the ministry said.

The decision follows representations from industry players seeking relief amid ongoing adjustments to domestic production capacities.

The ministry also extended exemptions related to input adherence for stainless steel flat products covered under three Indian Standards—IS 6911, IS 5522 and IS 15997– until March 2026 from December 31, 2025.

Citing advance payments made by importers to overseas suppliers and limited domestic availability of 200 and 300 series stainless steel flat products, the government has now extended this deadline as well to March 31, 2026.

The move is aimed at preserving the interests of stakeholders and ensuring steady market availability of critical steel products as domestic production capacities scale up in line with national self-reliance objectives, it stated.

In a separate statement, the government announced easing rules for the import of grades which are not covered under the QCOs, removing the requirement for a clarification or No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Steel.

"Based on the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms (HLC-NFRR), it has been decided that steel grades not covered by any QCO will no longer require clarification or NOC from the Ministry of Steel," the statement said.