South Korean media: Samsung and LG sue the Indian government over the soaring "e-waste processing fee"! According to an article published by South Korean media Kyungnam News on May 14, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics have filed lawsuits against the Indian government, accusing it of introducing the "minimum price system for electronic product recycling." It is reported that Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are filing a lawsuit at the Delhi High Court, questioning the Indian government's pricing policy for end-of-life electronics. India is the world's third-largest producer of e-waste. Companies that collect and process e-waste charge fees to electronics manufacturers. In September last year, the Modi government introduced a policy setting a "floor price" for the amount manufacturers must pay e-waste recyclers. Due to concerns over environmental and health risks, only 43% of e-waste is recycled, so the government has implemented policies to encourage recycling. The aim is to increase recycling rates by raising processing costs. However, large electronics companies like Samsung and LG that sell electronics in India strongly oppose this policy. They believe that the new pricing system will more than double their costs. Before the introduction of the minimum price system, the waste disposal fee manufacturers had to pay was typically 6 rupees per kilogram (about 0.5 RMB). However, the current processing price for ordinary electronic products is 22 rupees per kilogram (about 1.9 RMB), and for smartphones, it is 34 rupees per kilogram (about 2.9 RMB). Companies such as Japan's Daikin and India's Tata Group are also suing the Modi government. Meanwhile, Samsung and LG have joined the lawsuit. According to Reuters, Samsung Electronics claimed in its filing that the Indian government's pricing policy does not help protect the environment and has a financial impact on the company. LG Electronics also argued in the lawsuit that simply imposing burdens on businesses under the guise of the "polluter pays principle" cannot achieve the goal of expanding recycling. Prior to filing the lawsuit, LG sent a letter to the Indian government stating that the "minimum price" for waste disposal was too high and should be reduced, with prices determined by the market. Last year, Samsung also sent a letter to Prime Minister Modi, claiming that the new policy would increase its costs "five to fifteen times higher" than current levels. The Indian Electronics and Home Appliances Manufacturers Association also sent a letter to the Modi government in November last year, stating that the new pricing policy has increased overall production costs by 2%-8%. [Image: //p3-sign.toutiaoimg.com/tos-cn-i-ezhpy3drpa/ce3329d06819447aaa4a07056595e85c~tplv-obj:1920:1080.image?_iz=97245&bid=15&from=post&gid=1832062765603916&lk3s=06827d14&x-expires=1754956800&x-signature=Dqa2%2BCU4dA0VLK9TbPY%2BXnkx49g%3D] Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832062765603916/ Disclaimer: This article solely represents the views of the author.