Delhi HC orders govt to verify whether e-commerce sites display country of origin on products

Rule 6 of the Legal Metrology Packaged Commodity Rules, 2011 states that declarations to be made on every package. The declarations are as follows:

• The name and address of the manufacturer/ packer/ importer 

• The name of the country of origin or manufacture or assembly in case of the imported products.

• The common or generic names of the product; 

• In case of packages with more than one product, the name, and quantity of each product

• The net quantity (standard unit of weight or measure)

• Date of manufacturing

• Name, address, telephone number, and email address for consumer complaints

Recently, the Delhi High Court under a PIL ordered the Centre to ensure and file a fresh affidavit after verification that e-commerce websites like Flipkart, Amazon, etc. are complying with relevant laws of displaying the name of the manufacturing country or country of origin on products sold on their platforms.

The petitioner’s counsel raised an issue saying that there were major obscurities related to the products sold on the e-commerce websites such as one product has several countries of origin, country of origin is foreign but the product is shown as made in India and country of origin varies from manufacturing country.

He further stated in his rejoinder affidavit that the e-commerce entities are defying the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodity) Rules, 2011 and Consumer Protection (E-commerce) Rules, 2020 and has requested that prosecution be charged against those defying the rules.

However, the e-commerce entities like Amazon, Flipkart, Decathlon, etc. have claimed that they are complying with laws under the Legal Metrology Act and are displaying country of origin on products sold on their platforms.

It has been asserted that application of the mandate was important in the present situation when citizens of our country intend to comply with the appeal of the central government to promote and purchase Indian goods and not from some neighboring countries.

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