The government has denied an application to import refurbished Apple iPhones and iPads because it will increase the country’s e-waste creation, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-20 says that refurbished or reconditioned parts of personal computers and laptops can’t be imported, but refurbished parts of capital goods can be imported for free.
In response to whether the government had denied approval for the import of used Apple iPhones and iPads advertised as Apple Certified and pre-owned after repair by the original equipment manufacturer, Chandrasekhar said, “Yes, Sir.”
A request for permission to import used Apple iPhones and I-Pads that the original equipment manufacturer has repaired was made by M/s Apple India Limited in April 2015.
This request was made to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
He said that the 37th meeting of the Technical Review Committee took place in June 2015 and that the committee looked at the proposal to change the rules on hazardous wastes.
So far, the Committee hasn’t recommended that old consumer electronics like phones, laptops, TVs, and so on be brought into the country so that they can be sold.
The Committee made a point that the items that would be imported had a short functional life and were likely to become obsolete in a short time.
“Because of this, more e-waste would be made in the country. The Committee, on the other hand, did not want to import these items for trading “Chandrasekhar said that.
