Date: 2024-01-12Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Clarification regarding Import Policy Provisions for Laptops,
Tablets, All-in-one Personal Computers and Ultra Small Form
Factor Computers, Servers under HSN 8471
**Policy Summary:**
This Policy Circular No. 09/2023-24, issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, on January 12, 2024, provides clarification regarding import policy provisions for specific IT hardware under HSN 8471. The circular refers to DGFT Notifications No. 23/2023 dated August 3, 2023, No. 26/2023 dated August 4, 2023, and No. 38/2023 dated October 19, 2023, and Policy Circular No. 6/2023-24 dated October 19, 2023, which had restricted the import of certain specified IT hardware.
The clarification states that the import restriction applies *only* to Laptops, Tablets, All-in-one Personal Computers, Ultra Small Form Factor Computers, and Servers falling under HSN 8471. Import of these five categories requires a valid import authorization. The restriction does *not* extend to other goods under tariff head 8471, such as Desktop Computers.
The circular is addressed to all Customs Commissionerates and members of Trade and Industry. For further information, Md. Moin Afaque, Deputy Director General of Foreign Trade, can be contacted via email at ddg1import@dgft.gov.in. The circular was issued with the approval of the Competent Authority under F.No. 01/89/180/39/AM13/PC2[AE2261].
Key Entities Referenced
Directorate General of Foreign Trade: An agency of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, responsible for implementing the foreign trade policy.
New Delhi: The location of Vanijya Bhawan, where the notification was issued from.
Customs Commissionerates: The entities to which the policy circular is addressed.
HSN 8471: Harmonized System Nomenclature code for the restricted IT hardware.
Laptops: One of the specified IT hardware items subject to import restrictions.
Tablets: One of the specified IT hardware items subject to import restrictions.
All-in-one Personal Computers: One of the specified IT hardware items subject to import restrictions.
Import Authorisation: A license required for the import of restricted items, as specified in the notification.
Government of India
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Department of Commerce
Directorate General of Foreign Trade
Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi
Dated: 12th January, 2024
Policy Circular No. 09/2023-24
To,
1. All Customs Commissionerate(s)
2. Members of Trade & Industry
Subject: Clarification regarding Import Policy Provisions for Laptops, Tablets,
All-in-one Personal Computers and Ultra Small Form Factor Computers,
Servers under HSN 8471-reg.
Attention is drawn to DGFT Notification No. 23/2023 dated 03rd August 2023
read with Notification No. 26/2023 dated 4th August 2023 and Notification No.
38/2023 dated 19th October 2023 and in continuation to Policy circular no. 6/2023-
24 dated 19.10.2023, whereby Import of certain specified IT Hardware was
‘Restricted’. In this regard, the following clarifications are provided:
“Only the import of Laptops, Tablets, All-in-one Personal Computers, Ultra small
form factor Computers and Servers falling under HSN 8471 is ‘Restricted’ and import
should be allowed against a valid Import authorisation only for above five item
categories. The given Import Restriction does not apply to any other goods such as
Desktop Computers, etc. under tariff head 8471”.
This is issued with the approval of Competent Authority.
(Md. Moin Afaque)
Deputy Director General of Foreign Trade
E-mail: ddg1import-dgft@gov.in
(Issued from F.No.01/89/180/39/AM-13/PC-2[A]/E-2261)