MeitY informs MEA of equipment shipment delays from Chinese ports affecting companies

Experts opine that delays arising out of Chinese ports could be related to the restrictions on visas for Chinese officials etc

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has informed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) about the equipment delays arising from Chinese ports, an IT ministry official said.

This follows Apple and Foxconn's seeking government intervention over delays in the shipment of specialised manufacturing equipment from ports in China. Officials at the IT ministry were informed about the issue, Moneycontrol previously reported.

"This is not just an issue localised to certain companies, but many other companies are also affected by it," the official told Moneycontrol.

"These concerns were mentioned by the industry, and which now have been informally conveyed to the Ministry of External Affairs," the official added.

Moneycontrol has reached out to the MEA and MeitY for comments on the matter and the article will be updated when a response is received.

Sources had said that prolonged delays in the shipment of such items could hinder Apple's manufacturing expansion plans.

“Factories need new machinery for trial runs of new iPhone models yearly. This could translate into a serious issue," sources had previously told Moneycontrol.

The measures appear to be part of a broader response, potentially in retaliation for India’s restrictions on visas for Chinese officials or its “selective approach to approving Chinese investments”, another source had told Moneycontrol.

A recent report by Rest of World, an international tech publication, has said Foxconn is halting new work rotations for Chinese employees at its Apple iPhone factories in India and sending Taiwanese workers instead. The report attributed this to the Chinese government suspending worker deployments and equipment exports