India Rejects Criticism Of Its Laptop, Tablet, And PC Import System, Says It Is Compliant With WTO Guidelines

India's management of imports for laptops, tablets, and personal computers aligns with the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) regulations, as affirmed by S. Krishnan, the Secretary for the Ministry of Electronics and IT, on 19 October.

This clarification follows reports of concerns raised by various countries, including the United States, China, Korea, and Taiwan, during a recent WTO meeting regarding India's decision to impose import restrictions on laptops.

Krishnan, while presiding over a press conference alongside Santosh Kumar Sarangi, the Director General of Foreign Trade, emphasised that the primary objective behind the implementation of this import management system is to establish a reliable supply chain for these electronic devices and promote domestic manufacturing.

Under this import management system, seven ITC(HS) Codes related to laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, ultra-small form factor computers, and servers will be subject to control.

In the forthcoming weeks, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, in conjunction with the Ministry of Electronics and IT, will convene virtual meetings every Tuesday to address any concerns raised by the industry in connection with the import management system.

Through this system, the government will mandate companies to register import particulars.

Importantly, both DGFT and MeitY clarified that the government will not outright reject import requests.

Krishnan emphasised that they will meticulously analyse the data and decide on further actions after 30 September, 2024.