India on Monday, lifted the ban on importing toys from China provided they conform to international safety norms.
Within less than six weeks of banning the entry of Chinese toys into India, the government on Monday, eased restrictions on their imports, a decision the Indian toy industry says will not have impact on the domestic market.
According to a Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) notification, toys conforming to international health safety standards can be imported from China.
The government on January 23 banned the import of toys from China on health grounds.
According to the notification, the import of toys from China will be allowed if they conform to the standards prescribed in "ASTM F963" or "ISO 8124 (parts I-III) or IS 9873 (parts I-III)". These regulations deal primarily with safety and health hazards.
Beijing had expressed its concern to Indian authorities over the ban.
Chinese officials could not be immediately contacted for their comments on the government's decision to ease import restrictions. A response to a fax to the Chinese embassy in the capital is still awaited.
Toys Association of India President Raj Kumar said, "They (the government) lifted the ban but it is conditional ....it will have no effect on the Indian industry".
In the notification, the DGFT further said that imports from China will have to be accompanied by a requisite certificate from laboratories accredited to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation.
Earlier, state-owned China Daily had reported that Beijing was contemplating dragging India to the WTO on the ban, to which Indian commerce minister Kamal Nath had said that the ban on the import of toys is WTO-compliant.
Shrinking markets amid the global meltdown have forced nearly half of China's toy companies - the world's largest sellers - to down shutters, a media report had said.
The China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Light Industrial Products and Arts-Crafts had urged India to scrap the import ban to facilitate the growth of the industry in both the countries.
The toys market in India is estimated at Rs 2,500 crore while the volume-driven, price-competitive Chinese toys are estimated to control 70 per cent of the global toys market.
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