Coronavirus | Duty exemption for diagnostic kits imports
The Hindu
Aim to boost the testing apparatus for COVID-19 across the country
To boost the testing apparatus for COVID-19 across the country and ease the availability of oxygen concentrators, the government on Friday notified a customs duty exemption for diagnostic kits imports and altered the foreign trade policy. The Department of Revenue exempted imports of inflammatory diagnostic (marker) kits, namely IL6, D-Dimer, CRP, LDH, Ferritin, Pro Calcitonin (PCT) and blood gas reagents, from customs duty till October 31, 2021 to supplement testing efforts, the Finance Ministry said in a statement. Separately, the foreign trade policy for 2015-20 (in force till a new policy is formalised) was tweaked to allow the import of oxygen concentrators for personal use through e-commerce portals, post or courier till July 31, 2021. Customs clearance will be granted for such imports by treating them on par with ‘gifts’. So far, such an exemption was only allowed for life saving drugs and Rakhis.
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