Government lifts export restrictions on diagnostic kits and reagents

New Delhi: With COVID-19 cases declining in the country, the government on Friday lifted export restrictions on all diagnostic kits and reagents, including instruments, which are used for the detection of coronavirus infections.
India recorded 16,862 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases to 3,40,372,592, while active cases fell to 203,678, the lowest in 216 days, according to data from the Union Health Ministry updates Friday. The death toll climbed to 4,51,814 with 379 new deaths.
The daily increase in new coronavirus infections has been less than 30,000 for 21 consecutive days and less than 50,000 daily new cases have been reported for 110 consecutive days now.
“The policy of exporting all diagnostic kits and reagents (including instruments / devices) (…) is made free with immediate effect,” the Directorate-General for Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.
The DGFT is a branch of the Ministry of Commerce which deals with standards relating to exports and imports.
Export restrictions on these products were imposed in June last year and August 16, 2021 due to the increase in COVID-19 cases. An exporter must apply for a government license or authorization to export goods that fall under a restricted category.
Diagnostic kits and reagents include RT-PCR kits and reagents, RNA extraction kits and reagents, synthetic fiber swabs, proteinase K, magnetic holder, beads and rapid test kits. COVID-19 antigen.
In a separate notification, the DGFT revised its earlier decision of October 4 on the export of syringes with and without needles.
It was previously placed in a restricted category for export, but now the restrictions would only be there for certain denominations of syringes.
In addition, in another notification, the management removed the ban on the export of meltblown fabrics from any GSM, used in air filtration equipment, mask materials and filter materials. liquids.
“The fusion blown fabric of any GSM has been made freely exportable with immediate effect,” he said.
Read also: India resumes exports of Covid-19 vaccines