Indian laptop import ban not applicable to air travelers

Muscat: India has delayed the implementation of the import ban on laptops, tablets, and servers by three months, till October 31.

The notification said the government will permit import against a valid license for restricted products. The restriction will also not apply to passengers carrying the mentioned devices in their baggage.

India has imposed restrictions on the import of laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, and ultra-small computers and servers.

Any entity or company planning to bring laptops and computers for sale in India will now have to seek permission or license from the government for their inbound shipments. The notification in this regard was issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). The restrictions have been imposed under HSN Code 8471 on seven categories of electronic gadgets.

Exemptions

An importer can apply for a license or permit from August 4. The trader should have to be a regular importer to get a license.

Exemptions have also been given the import of one laptop, tablet, all-in-one personal computer, or ultra-small form factor computer, including those purchased from e-commerce portals through post or courier. However, these imports shall be subject to payment of duty as applicable.

There is an exemption from seeking import licensing for up to 20 items per consignment for R&D, testing, benchmarking and evaluation, repair and return and product development purposes.

These curbs are also not applicable to imports under baggage rules.