The commerce ministry has prohibited import of mobile phone handsets (classified under ITC (HS) Code ‘8517’) without International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number or with all zeroes’ IMEI, with immediate effect from October 14, 2009. Import of ‘CDMA mobile phones’ (classified under ITC (HS) Code ‘8517’) without Electronic Serial Number (ESN)/Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID) or with all zeroes as ESN/MEID is also prohibited with immediate effect from the same date.
The prohibition comes in the wake of increasing security concerns regarding cheap ‘Made in China’ mobile handsets that have no IMEI/MEID numbers or same/fake IMEI numbers that make it very difficult for the security agencies to trace the phone calls to the callers or block the handset or obtain the call details from the retrieved handsets.
Import of raw fur-skins (including heads, tails, paws and other pieces or cuttings, suitable for furriers’ use), of mink, lamb, fox, etc, is free under the import policy, but these will now be subject to Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and CITES (Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species). The move follows pressures to be in compliance with international conventions.
Credit: TNC Rajagopalan
Filed under: Exim News Tagged: | Cellphones, China, Exim, Import Rules, News
