Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has issued a Notification No. 56/2023 to amend Para 2.31 of Foreign Trade Policy, 2023 to restrict imports of Used IT Assets (Laptops, Desktops, Monitors and printers) from Special Economic Zones(SEZs) to Domestic Tariff Area (DTA).
While the import of used IT assets from SEZ to DTA is restricted, below mentioned conditions have been specified for free imports:
- Used IT Assets can be moved from SEZ to DTA without a Restricted Imports License, provided there is a minimum usage of 2 years in the SEZ area, and the goods are not older than 5 years from the date of manufacturing.
- In the case of a unit closing down operations in SEZ and relocating to DTA, the import is allowed without a Restricted Imports License, given that the goods are not older than 5 years from the date of manufacturing. However IT assets that have entered the SEZ area in second hand/used/old condition and have been used in the SEZ area for less than 2 years are not covered.
- The relaxation for import is subject to the condition that no exemption from regulatory requirements (CRO, WPC, RoHS) was availed at the time of importing Used IT Assets into the SEZ.
- Import of used IT Assets not meeting the specified criteria will require a License for Restricted Import.
Source: Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)
