Import of several Chinese products banned

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SME Times News Bureau | 18 Jun, 2009
India has banned the import of certain products from China including mobile phones without unique identity code numbers and toys that fail to meet international safety standards, while extending the ban on milk products from the country.

Import of Chinese cell phones without identity code banned:
Import of Chinese mobile phones without unique identity code numbers has been banned, India's commerce ministry announced.

"Import of mobile handsets without International Mobile Equipment Identify (IMEI) number or with all-zero IMEI is prohibited with immediate effect," the Director General of Foreign Trade said in a notification.

IMEI - a unique 15-digit number - helps authorities trace the handset that has been used to make a call.

The Department of Telecom (DoT) had earlier directed telephone operators to disconnect services to subscribers who own handsets that do not have the IMEI code as such phones posed a security threat.

However, since then, the Cellular Operators Association of India has developed a software for embedding genuine identity code - issued by the global association of telecom operators - on handsets without the requisite IMEI numbers.

India bans import of toys lacking safety standards:
Meanwhile, India has announced restrictions till January 2010 on the import of all toys that fail to meet international safety standards. Hitherto, the ban only related to Chinese toys.

"Import of toys...is prohibited up to Jan 23, 2010 and until further orders," said an official notification.

"However, toys conforming to international health safety standards can be imported," said the notification from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

The DGFT has made it mandatory to attach "a certificate of conformance from the manufacturer that representative sample of the toys being imported have been tested by an independent laboratory (like International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation ILAC)".

In January this year, India had imposed ban on import of Chinese toys on health grounds.

After protests from China, the restriction was eased on Chinese toys which met international safety norms or certificate from laboratories accredited to the ILAC.

China accused India of bias as the ban was just on Chinese Toys and also threatened to take the matter to the WTO.

India extends ban on Chinese milk products:
Meanwhile, the ban on milk and milk product imports from China, which was to have expired June 24, has been extended by another six months, the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has said.

"The central government hereby extends the prohibition on import of milk and milk products, including chocolates and chocolate products..., for a period of six months from June 24, and until further orders," said a DGFT notification.

The decision was taken after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) sought a three-month ban on importing dairy items from China.

As per data with the commerce and industry ministry, India imported around 10 tonnes of cheese from China last fiscal.

About 20 countries including Myanmar and Hong Kong have stopped import of Chinese milk products.

India, the largest producer of milk in the world, accounts for 15 percent of global production.

It also intends to increase production to 111 million tonnes annually by 2010 from 101 million tonnes currently.