A breather before new import rules for laptops log in

Aditi TandonNew Delhi, August 4New rules on import of laptops will be effective from November 1, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in an order tonight. Import consignments can be cleared till October 31, without a licence for restricted imports.New rules on import of laptops will be effective from November 1, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in an orderIn the earlier notification, the government had said the decision was taken for security reasons and to promote domestic manufacturingFor clearance of import consignments with effect from November 1, a valid licence for restricted imports is required, the DGFT said.Earlier today, Minister of State for IT and Electronics Rajeev Chandrashekhar clarified that “there will be a transition period for new import norms to be put into effect and it will be notified soon”. He did not specify the timeline, but sources indicated the period allowed could be a few months.The DGFT had yesterday notified new import norms for laptops, all-in-one personal computers, ultra small computers and servers, saying the notification would come into effect immediately. This caused anxiety in the industry with several importers worried about the status of consignments in transit and some even reporting stalling of consignments at ports. Official sources today said consignments in transit would be allowed without an import licence.Several red flags in the system about inbuilt security loopholes in the IT hardware have necessitated regulations, said top sources, adding that with the new rules, the DGFT would exactly know the geography from where a product is being imported, helping the country keep a track of hardware journey and ensure it is safe and clean.Sources said beyond China also some suspect geographies had been identified.“India is fast becoming one of the world’s fastest growing markets for digital products, including laptops and servers. It is our objective to ensure trusted hardware and systems and reduce import dependence by boosting domestic production. This is not at all about licence raj. It is about regulating imports to ensure trusted and verifiable systems and ensuring the India tech ecosystem uses verified systems only whether imported or locally made,” Chandrashekhar said.

A breather before new import rules for laptops log in

Tribune News Service