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Apple

Apple, Other US Tech Firms Sign Letter Protesting India's PC Import Restrictions (macrumors.com) 29

Posted by msmash from the tussle-continues dept.
Apple has joined a coalition of U.S. businesses in protest at India's sudden introduction of tech import restrictions last month, claiming the move will damage New Delhi's ambitions to become a global manufacturing hub and harm consumers. From a report: n a letter sent to U.S. officials this week, eight American trade groups asked the government to urge India to reconsider the policy, which will see the country impose a new license requirement for technology imports from November 1, covering everything from laptops and tablets to servers and datacenter components. India didn't give a reason for the change in rules, but the move is thought to be an effort to boost local manufacturing, forming another prong in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Made in India" campaign to encourage domestic manufacturing in the tech sector.
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Apple, Other US Tech Firms Sign Letter Protesting India's PC Import Restrictions More

Apple, Other US Tech Firms Sign Letter Protesting India's PC Import Restrictions

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  • It's a choice (Score:4, Informative)

    by Baron_Yam ( 643147 ) on Friday August 18, 2023 @02:24PM (#63778486)

    India wants to encourage domestic capacity. American companies don't care about that, nor do they care about the health of India's IT sector... They care about their market share, and this move reduces it.

    • Re:It's a choice (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Savage-Rabbit ( 308260 ) on Friday August 18, 2023 @02:30PM (#63778510)

      India wants to encourage domestic capacity. American companies don't care about that, nor do they care about the health of India's IT sector... They care about their market share, and this move reduces it.

      American corporations object to India enacting import restrictions but at the same time they are in the Oval Office calling for restrictions on imports from China because they don't like the competition ... hypocrisy abounds.

      • We're heading towards the stage where US is going to engage in some gunboat diplomacy, like they did to Japan, to force India to open back up.

        In the Japan case, it was because the West wasn't successful in opening China up.

        Now India is closing up is a problem for the West, because they lost access to China.

        And karmically, the US (and UK soon following suit) is suffering from a fentanyl/opioid crisis with smuggling coming in from China via Mexico.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by I75BJC ( 4590021 )
        Different Industries. Apple and PC manufacturers manufacturer their goods in China. While your concept is interesting, your delivery is a non sequitur.
    • All governments do what's best for them. Apple Inc. et al.'s interests are not completely aligned with India's. Boohoo.

    • India wants to encourage domestic capacity. American companies don't care about that, nor do they care about the health of India's IT sector... They care about their market share, and this move reduces it.

      It seems like India doesn't care much either. You want to increase the Indian market share? Actually invest in Indian companies and make them competitive on a global stage. So riddle me this. Let's say I am an Indian sympathizer and wanted to buy a phone, laptop, or desktop computer that complied with this regulation. Can I do so without importing it from India? In the USA or Great Britain or anyplace in the West, can I buy Indian tech products? I am unaware of any Indian phones or computers I can bu

    • Next thing we will hear is India imposing a surcharge on all companies outside of India that use it as an IT outsourcing "body shop".

  • Should only ever be met by other countries with counter-restrictions. If India wouldnt buy from the US, the US should not buy from India. That is the only appropriate response. Not by category though, by dollar volume. If we lose $10b to this restriction, we should tax them 100% to send $10b to us. No tarriffs after that. If it is an outright block, then we should block something of equal or greater value to them. Trade restrictions are the worst.
    • But where do these american companies have their dev
      • (continued) but where do these american companies have their devices created for cheap? Having them made in the US itself will increase the price they have to ask a lot. The US depends on these cheap labor countries.
        • Tim Cook has actually said publicly the reason phones are made in China is less about cheap labor and more about the integrated supply chain and availability of parts and skills. China isn't the cheapest place, by far. Vietnam and most of Africa are significantly cheaper. If we only wanted cheap hands, there are many impoverished places that'll do it for cheaper. China has ports, lots of skilled labor, lower corruption, a skilled workforce to support the labor, etc.

          For awhile, the US hasn't depended

    • If we lose $10b to this restriction

      What a sense of entitlement. That $10b was supposedly yours already, and now you've "lost" it.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        If we lose $10b to this restriction

        What a sense of entitlement. That $10b was supposedly yours already, and now you've "lost" it.

        If you allow blanket market distortions without reciprocity, your industries will leave for protected countries with economic advantage and you'll become a doormat.

        • Irrelevant to the point I was making. The $10B was not yours to begin with. You can't lose something that's not yours.

          US companies, with billions of US dollars behind them, entering a Third World country, IS a blanket market distortion. Are you saying the Indians aren't allowed to protect their industries from unfair competition? Why do you think India just owes you $10B?

          • Exactly what they should do. Large companies apply the embrace, extend, extinguish tactics. It kills local competition in a country they enter, cementing their grip on the market.
            China prevented it by mandating joint ventures. India should also find a similar model to protect local businesses from being squished by those with abundant capital.
            Even if US (or China, EU and others) strike back, it's still worth it.

            • Yes, good point. If US companies want to make money off India, then they have to be prepared to give them what they need in return.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by m00sh ( 2538182 )

      Trade restrictions are the worst.

      Except for the Chinese trade restrictions. Those are necessary. All others are the worst (except those that are necessary).

    • Or greatly reduce the H1b visas to work in the US.

    • Deal. From now on no one in US will be able to buy Indian PCs, hell we will throw Phones and Tablets into the mix just to make you happy.

      > Not by category though, by dollar volume.

      ok

      > If we lose $10b to this restriction, we should tax them 100% to send $10b to us

      it so just happens India has trade deficit of 10B with US. ~$10B a month. Sounds like you want India to put 100% tax on American goods.

  • Now you're gonna cry because another (cheap labor) country is setting an import ban instead of your own country setting an export ban for a specific country, so now you do face a loss of another large market, now you start bitching and crying about it. My god what a bunch of hypocrites.
  • So India has a policy to become the number one manufacturer in the world, that's okay.

    When China has a policy to become the number one manufacturer in the world, it's suddenly about world domination and military threats.

    But now that India is unilaterally banning some US imports, watch how the propaganda slowly shifts to India becoming a potential military threat.
  • ...makes me think I should support it, for the good we decent people outside their walled garden.

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