Earlier this week it was reported that the Chinese government had placed a ban on local and national government’s purchases of Apple products. Now, Chinese officials are saying the “ban” was just an issue with some uncompleted paperwork, and routine price adjustments on a website.
“Even though Apple has the certification for energy-saving products… it has never provided the necessary verification material and agreements according to the regulations,” said a Finance Ministry fax sent to Reuters on Thursday evening.
The procurement list was reportedly just one of many, and listed only “energy-saving products.”
As for Apple products being unavailable for purchase from the Chinese government procurement website, why that was simply due to a “monthly price adjustment.” Sales of Apple devices soon resumed.
It’s tough to make a call on what the real story is here. Did Chinese authorities actually ban purchases of Apple products, and then back-pedaled due to the media coverage, or was it truly a paperwork snafu? The world may never know.
