E-tailers, sellers face 'tag challenge' amid border dispute with China

Compliance issues and lack of guidance make mandatory disclosure of country of origin tough for sellers, e-tailers

Online marketplaces and sellers on such platforms were recently taken by surprise when the government directed them to mention the country of origin on all listed products. Against the backdrop of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) dispute with China, the move seemingly was to identify and highlight the largescale import and sale of China-made products through these platforms. Both online marketplaces and sellers are now scurrying to meet the tentative deadline of August 10 to comply with the verbal directives. But, logistical challenges and the absence of clear regulatory guidelines are hampering compliance, they add.

Experts point out governments