Caution! When you accept Export Order for COVID-19 Items.

As per Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Guidelines, medical supplies (Mask, Personal Protective Equipment, etc) are important for Medical staff (doctors, nurses etc.) as well as public at large to face this Pandemic COVID-19. Hence, India has implemented stricter export policy ensure to maintain minimum quantity in order to avoid shortage of such supplies in this pandemic situation.

In order to make an easy understanding of which items are allowed / restricted / prohibited from export from India in the context of current pandemic situation, we have enlisted the items in the table as follows :

What is allowed for export?
Things that you can export freely

All Gloves (except NBR gloves)
All ophthalmic instruments & appliances under HS code 901850 except medical goggles
Surgical blades
Non-woven shoe covers
Breathing applications used by Airmen, Divers, mountaineers or fireman
Gas masks with chemical absorbent for filtration against poisonous vapour , smoke, gases
HDPE Tarpaulin / Plastic Tarpaulin PVC conveyor belt
Biopsy punch
Non-medical & non-surgical masks made of (cotton, silk, wool, knitted)

What is restricted for export?

Things with policy restrictions
Specified diagnostic instruments / apparatus / reagents like – 15ml falcon tube, synthetic fibre swabs etc.¹

What is not allowed for export? (Prohibited)

PPE² including clothing & surgical/medical mask
NBR gloves
All Ventilators
Textile raw material for coveralls & masks
Alcohol based hand sanitizers in containers with dispenser pumps

1. Notification no. 09/2015-20 dated 10.06.2020
2. PPE includes - gloves, laboratory coats, gowns, goggles, glasses with side shields, shoe covers and masks.

In the current critical pandemic condition, it is strongly recommended to check before accepting the order – to identify correct HSN code and also check which items are allowed / restricted / prohibited for export.

Among above, a lot of confusion persists - what can be considered items are covered under non-medical / non-surgical masks, what consist of PPE items and whether those items are allowed for export.