Modi Govt Imposes Restrictions On Imports Of Colour Television Sets

In a major development, the Narendra Modi government on Thursday (30 July) imposed import restrictions on colour television sets, reports LiveMint.

The move is aimed towards restricting inbound shipments from China and boost local manufacturing in the country. "Import policy of colour television.....is amended from free to restricted," a notification from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in a notification on 30 July stated.

It should be noted that putting an item in the restricted list implies that the importer of the said commodity will have to seek licence from the DGFT for the imports.

As per the report, India imported Colour television sets worth $781 million in the previous financial year, most of which came from Vietnam ($428 million) and China ($292 million).

The restrictions are imposed on TV sets of all screen sizes, ranging from up to 36 cm to over 105 cm. The restrictions also include Liquid crystal display (LCD) television sets of screen size below 63 cm.

“Actual user conditions would not be applicable for importers applying for an authorization to import the goods ‘restricted’ in this notification. The procedure for grant of license will be separately issued by DGFT (Directorate General of Foreign Trade)," the notification said.