More flexibility for SEZ cos on used IT hardware

New Delhi: The government has relaxed curbs for shifting of used IT hardware goods like laptops and desktops by a company in special economic zones (SEZs) to outside these duty free-enclaves or domestic tariff areas.

SEZs are treated as deemed foreign territory for customs laws and bringing goods from these zones into the domestic tariff area (DTA) or domestic market is tantamount to imports. In general, a company from DTA needs a licence for imports of these goods from SEZs. Easing these curbs, Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in a notification has said that used IT assets (laptops, desktops, monitors, printers) can be moved from SEZ by a company to DTA without a license for the purposes of further use in their DTA operations only.

However, the equipment should have been used in SEZ units for two years and should not be older than five years from the date of manufacturing.

“Import policy of used IT assets (laptops, desktops, monitors, printers) from SEZ to DTA has been notified,” DGFT said.