News
Restriction on Import of Laptops, Tablets, PCs Deferred till Oct 31
On August 4, 2023, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a notification deferring the implementation of the import restrictions on laptops, tablets, and personal computers till October 31, 2023. Hence, a licence for restricted imports would not be required for their import till said date.
Through amendments to the Indian Trade Classification (Harmonised System) of Import Items, 2022 [ITC (HS), 2022], the import licensing requirements for “Laptops, Tablets, All-in-one Personal Computers, and Ultra small form factor Computers and Servers” were prescribed[1]. An exemption from this requirement is granted up to 20 items per consignment for R&D, testing, benchmarking and evaluation, repair and return, and product development purposes provided that the other stipulated conditions are complied with. Further, an exemption has been provided for the import of one of the said items (except servers). In this case, the applicable duty for the import has to be paid.
In situations where the imports are covered under the Baggage Rules, the items repaired abroad are re-imported or returned, or when items form an essential part of a capital good, the import licence is not required.
The decision to defer the implementation of the import restrictions will certainly help the concerned stakeholders in making the necessary transitional arrangements.
