The Ministry of Steel has extended the exemption period for key stainless steel flat products under the Quality Control Orders (QCOs) to March 31, 2026, responding to industry concerns over supply shortages and advance payments already made to overseas suppliers.
The revised exemption covers three Indian Standards for stainless steel flat products, IS 6911, IS 5522 and IS 15997, and applies to imports with Bills of Lading shipped on or before March 31, 2026. These exemptions were previously valid until December 31, 2025.
Importers had highlighted continued tight domestic availability of 200 and 300 series stainless steel flat products as domestic capacity ramps up. The Ministry said the extension aims to maintain steady market availability while domestic production scales in line with national self-reliance objectives.
As part of the broader update, the Ministry also moved the exemption deadline for certain Chapter 73 steel products to March 31, 2026, aligning timelines across categories.
