The Indian Cellular and Electronics Association has written to the Finance Ministry and to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), saying that sudden import disruptions were hurting the industry.

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Earlier this week, certain consignments from China were held at some ports in the country, with customs officials citing 'intelligence inputs' as the reason.

Annually, India imports around $56 billion worth of electronic items from China.

In its letter, ICEA said that companies were nervous about the duration of the disruptions, which were being faced across the country.

"We fear that if the supply chain is broken then there will be severe

shortage of essential communication, equipment required for health, work-from-home and online education goods such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, since alternative supplies are not available in the local and global markets amidst the COVID-19 outbreak," ICMEA said in its letter.

ICEA said that insistence on 100 percent examination by the Customs could lead to pilferage and soiling of products.

"We understand that even goods already cleared and loaded in trucks

for transport to the users' warehouse are being recalled and examined. Opening up finished products for full examination will soil them, making it impossible to sell in the market. This will lead to millions of dollars of losses, a shortage in the market, and spook large foreign investors," ICMEA wrote.

The body requested that the review the policy and stop the 100 percent examination of only China origin goods so that the supply chain could move without hurdles.

First Published:Jun 25, 2020 12:04 PM IST