Using import statement in app.config.js causes an error

🐛 Bug Report

https://docs.expo.io/workflow/configuration/ tells me I can use import statements in app.config.js but it doesn’t work.

Summary of Issue (just a few sentences)

I wanted to use import Constants from 'expo-constants'; in app.config.js but it gives me an error

Environment - output of expo diagnostics & the platform(s) you’re targeting

Expo CLI 3.21.5 environment info:
    System:
      OS: macOS Mojave 10.14.6
      Shell: 3.2.57 - /bin/bash
    Binaries:
      Node: 12.12.0 - /usr/local/bin/node
      Yarn: 1.19.1 - /usr/local/bin/yarn
      npm: 6.11.3 - /usr/local/bin/npm
    IDEs:
      Android Studio: 3.6 AI-192.7142.36.36.6241897
      Xcode: 11.3.1/11C504 - /usr/bin/xcodebuild
    npmPackages:
      expo: ~37.0.3 => 37.0.8
      react: ~16.9.0 => 16.9.0
      react-dom: ~16.9.0 => 16.9.0
      react-native: https://github.com/expo/react-native/archive/sdk-37.0.1.tar.gz => 0.61.4
      react-native-web: ~0.11.7 => 0.11.7
    npmGlobalPackages:
      expo-cli: 3.21.5

Reproducible Demo

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Steps to Reproduce

create app.config.js and add import Constants from 'expo-constants';

Expected Behavior vs Actual Behavior

expected the app runs without problems.

actual

/Users/swatanabe025/Desktop/private/OtsukaiChain/packages/clients/supporter/node_modules/expo-constants/build/Constants.js:1
import { AppOwnership, UserInterfaceIdiom, } from './Constants.types';
^^^^^^

SyntaxError: Cannot use import statement outside a module
    at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:892:18)
    at Module._compile (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/expo-cli/node_modules/pirates/lib/index.js:99:24)
    at Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:973:10)
    at Object.newLoader [as .js] (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/expo-cli/node_modules/pirates/lib/index.js:104:7)
    at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:812:32)
    at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:724:14)
    at Module.require (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:849:19)
    at require (internal/modules/cjs/helpers.js:74:18)
    at Constants (/Users/swatanabe025/Desktop/private/OtsukaiChain/packages/clients/supporter/app.config.js:1:1)
    at Object.<anonymous> (/Users/swatanabe025/Desktop/private/OtsukaiChain/packages/clients/supporter/app.config.js:4:28)

[ShunyaWatanabe]

@byCedric It’d be great if you can share with me how to achieve this in another way!

[donni106]

i have changed my export const xyz = ... to module.exports.xyz = ... in the file i rely on. this way the import works in app.config.js and other stuff seems to behave like the way before 🤞