Gunjan Verma - India

” Urgent COVID-related medical devices are exempt from customs duties effective immediately until July 31st.”

Gunjan Verma
Managing Partner
Asia Actual India

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India Temporarily Suspends Customs Duties for Covid-19 Related Medical Devices

Published on: April 27th, 2021

On Saturday, the Indian Ministry of Finance released a Notification (No. 28/2021–Customs) exempting the following medical devices from customs duties effective immediately until July 31st. The Notification comes as the Indian government continues to take additional steps to battle the ongoing COVID-19 emergency.  As India looks for ways to increase oxygen capacity throughout the country, Prime Minister Modi chaired a meeting of ministers and other government officials to stress cooperation and synergy in working to increase the oxygen supply as quickly as possible.

Urgently needed equipment include oxygen generators, oxygen storage equipment, ventilators, nasal cannulas, VPSAs/PSAs/ASUs, and any other devices that can be used to generate oxygen. Additionally, some components that are used in the production, transportation, distribution, or storage of oxygen are exempted. This Ministry has also waived customs duties for all approved COVID-19 vaccines.

The complete list and associated regulation reference numbers can be found below:

Chapter, Heading, Sub-Heading, or Tariff Item Description
1. 9019 20, 9804 Oxygen concentrator including flow meter, regulator, connectors, and tubing
2. 2804 40 Medical Oxygen
3. 8421 39 Vacuum Pressure Swing Absorption (VPSA) and Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) oxygen plants, Cryogenic Oxygen Air Separation Units (ASUs) producing liquid/gaseous oxygen
4. 7311 Oxygen canister
5. 9018 Oxygen filling systems
6. 7311 Oxygen storage tanks
7. 9018 Oxygen generator
8. 7311 ISO containers for Shipping Oxygen
9. 7311, 8418 or 8419 Cryogenic road transport tanks for Oxygen
10. 7311, 8418 or 8419 Oxygen cylinders including cryogenic cylinders and tanks
11. Any Chapter Parts of goods at S.No.1 and 3 to 10 above, used in the manufacturing of equipment related to the production, transportation, distribution, or storage of oxygen, subject to the condition that the importer follows the procedure set out in the Customs (Import of Goods at Concessional Rate of Duty) Rules, 2017
12. 9019 Any other device from which oxygen can be generated
13. 9018 or 9019 Ventilators, including ventilator with compressors; all accessories and tubing; humidifiers; and viral filters (should be able to function as a high flow device and comes with a nasal canula)
14. 9018 High flow nasal canula device with all attachments; nasal canula for use with the device
15. 6506 99 00 Helmets for use with non-invasive ventilation
16. 9019 Non-invasive ventilation oronasal masks for ICU ventilators
17. 9019 Non-invasive ventilation nasal masks for ICU ventilators
18. 3002 COVID-19 vaccine

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