Export Ban Lifted on All Ventilators as Supply Far Exceeds Demand
The government on
Tuesday, 4 August 2020 lifted the export ban on all ventilators to push the
outbound shipments of the product.
"All ventilators
including any artificial respiratory apparatus or oxygen therapy apparatus or
any other breathing appliance/device are made free for export," the
directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification.
The ban was imposed
on March 24 to ensure domestic availability to fight COVID-19 pandemic.
On August 1, the
group of ministers on COVID-19 has considered and agreed to the proposal of the
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to allow the export of made-in-India
ventilators.
An official
statement, issued on August 1, has said that this decision came on the heels of
India continuing to maintain a progressively declining low rate of case
fatality of COVID-19 patients, which means that fewer numbers of active cases
are on ventilators.
Additionally, there
has been substantial growth in the domestic manufacturing capacity of ventilators.
Presently, there are
more than 20 domestic manufacturers for ventilators.
[DGFT Notification No.
23/2015-2020 dated 4 August 2020]
Effect
of this Notification:
Notification No. 53 dated 24.03.2020 is amended to the extent that all
ventilators including any artificial respiratory apparatus or .oxygen therapy
apparatus or any other breathing appliance/device are made "free" for
export.
Subject: - Amendment
in Export Policy of Ventilators.
S.O.
(E) In exercise of powers conferred by Section 3 of the Foreign Trade
(Development & Regulation) Act, 1992 (No. 22 of 1992), as amended, read
with Para 1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-20, the Central
Government hereby makes the following amendments in the Notification No. 53
dated 24.03.2020 amending the Schedule 2 of the ITCHS Export Policy related to
export of all Ventilators, with immediate effect:
|
S.No |
ITC HS Codes |
Description |
Existing Policy |
Revised Policy |
|
207B |
ex9018
ex9019 ex9020 |
All
Ventilators including any artificial respiratory apparatus or oxygen therapy
apparatus or any other breathing appliance/device. |
Prohibited |
Free |
(Issued from file No. 01/91/180/21/AM20/EC/E-
20261)