(Yicai) Oct. 19 -- As India continues to amend its new import restrictions on computers, tablets and other electronic products, members of the World Trade Organization have asked the South Asian country to clarify exactly what the new rules are and why they have been introduced, Yicai learned from authoritative sources.

Can India make clear its import restrictions, including recent reports that it may bring out an import registration management system instead of the previously announced licensing requirements, the China representative asked at the WTO Market Access Committee meeting on Oct. 16.

The Indian government said in August that importers of laptops, tablets, personal computers and other electronic devices will need to apply for a license to bring these items into the country. But on Oct. 13, Indian Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said that the import of laptops will not be bound by the new system, and that he hoped the new rules will be in place by Nov. 1.

India has not provided details on how the restrictive measures were formulated, causing uncertainty among exporters and users, the US representative said.

India’s new measures do not appear to comply with WTO rules and may pose unnecessary trade barriers, severely challenging fair trade, the South Korea representative said. Therefore, India should reconsider these measures and provide detailed explanations and information including a timetable for their implementation.

The Indian government has been rolling out curbs on the import of foreign electronic products in the past few years to boost domestic manufacturing, and has been introducing incentives to attract more electronic hardware manufacturers to invest in the country.

India imports around 65 percent of its PCs and in the past two years, 76.9 percent of these came from China, according to market research firm Counterpoint.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Kim Taylor