Several countries like India, Brazil and Turkey have specific restrictions in regards to used or remanufactured servers entering the country. While others like Hong Kong and Singapore have adopted regulations that are making it more difficult. The fear stems from concerns around the environment and becoming home to landfills of outdated technology. Although this is not an issue for technology providers shipping initial orders of new product, it can cause concern when it comes to supporting these systems once deployed. And, with all standards the idea is to avoid the costly risks associated with not following the laws set forth by each governing body.
UNICOM Engineering advance replacement support program
UNICOM Engineering offers Advance Replacement support programs to cover the solutions that we have deployed in the field. These programs are utilized by customers that require maximum uptime and fast system substitution in the event of an issue. These remanufactured, pre-configured servers are stocked at our locations and ready to ship to end-users around the globe. This is typically an easy process with the exception of a few countries that have tightened restrictions around importing used equipment. Although this may affect how we service equipment in those restricted countries, you do have options.
The following is a brief summary of the relevant requirements, as of the writing of this document. This is not intended as an exhaustive study of this ever changing subject, but as a summary of the most challenging countries, their practices and restrictions, and our recommended solutions.
Product compliance for India, Brazil and Turkey
India, Brazil and Turkey are widely known to have very strict trade regulations. When it comes to dual-use goods it may even be more restricted if your end user is the military as opposed to a civilian operation. Regardless, each of these countries does not permit used goods to enter. India, for instance, has The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) that certifies all products that enter India. Server products that do not go through the BIS process of being certified cannot enter India. In addition, Brazil does not import used goods and they have very high taxes and duties on goods that are permitted for import. Turkey is aligning their efforts with the European Union certifications and do perform inspections on all goods that enter the country. Used or remanufactured products are not permitted.
We also mentioned Hong Kong previously and that is due to their multistage transaction process that requires a license obtained by a resident of Hong Kong or those with a legal presence in country to tie the product to the recipient. These regulations may slow down the process and make it slightly more complicated. Singapore on the other hand has long been ideal as a central stocking location to APAC. Singapore requires a license to export dual-use goods slowing down the process to meet commitments from the stocking locations. As you can see, staying on top of this information is no small task. The thing to note is that the rules and regulations in these countries can change at any moment and we monitor them on your behalf to ensure our products and services comply.
Can I have an advanced replacement program in these regions?
The answer is yes, but the process of handling stock and repairs will be different than other countries you do business with around the globe. We highly recommend that you work with the UNICOM Engineering team to address your specific needs and concerns. One option may be to use one of our forward stocking locations for parts and systems in country and stock them with new product. Defect units could be exported via a temporary export, for repair and return. It may come down to the best option for your Service Level Agreements is to just offer repair in certain regions.
Let’s talk
Our team uncovers new certifications and regulations daily that change the way we handle export and support globally. We track these closely to avoid potential delays and costly fines. When you engage our support organization, we act as an extension of your business and provide everything you need to know to navigate foreign waters. To learn more, visit www.unicomengineering.com or call 800-977-1010.