Govt Relaxes Norms For Shifting Used IT Hardware Assets Like Laptops From SEZs To Domestic Markets

SEZs are considered foreign territory for customs laws and bringing goods from these zones into the domestic tariff area (DTA) or domestic market is rendered as imports. 

The government has eased restrictions for shifting of used IT hardware goods such as laptops and desktops by a firm in special economic zones (SEZs) to outside these duty-free zones or domestic tariff areas. Notably, SEZs are considered foreign territory for customs laws and bringing goods from these zones into the domestic tariff area (DTA) or domestic market is rendered as imports. 

Generally, a company from DTA requires a licence to import these goods from SEZs. Relaxing these restrictions, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued a notification and stated that used IT assets such as laptops, desktops, monitors, printers, etc, can be moved from SEZ by a firm to DTA without a licence to use the asset further in their DTA operations only, reported PTI. 

However, the notification mentioned, that these equipments need to be in use in the SEZ units for two years and shouldn’t be older than five years from the manufacturing date. The DGFT noted that the import policy of used IT assets from SEZ to DTA has been notified. 

It further said that in cases where a unit is shutting down its operations in SEZ and shifting to the DTA, the import of these items is permitted without a licence, subject to the condition that these products shouldn’t be older than five years from the manufacturing date.
“If a SEZ unit has second hand/used/old condition equipment and is being used for less than two years, they can not be shifted to DTA. Import of any used IT assets which do not fulfil these criteria shall be subject to licence for restricted import. These relaxations will be applicable on the condition that no exemption has been availed from any regulatory requirements, that is Compulsory Registration Order (CRO), Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), and  WPC (wireless planning and coordination) import licence,” the DGFT said.

Earlier last year in October, the government revised the curbs on the imports of laptops and computers as it permitted importers to bring in shipments of IT hardware from overseas on a simple authorisation upon detailing quantity and value. 

This new ‘import management system’ aims to monitor shipments of the IT assets into the country without disturbing market supply or creating a difficult licensing regime.