Govt curbs export of specific Covid-19 diagnostic kits

Amid the surge in covid-19 cases in India, on Wednesday, the government restricted the exports of specific Covid-19 diagnostic kits. These include Swabs sterile synthetic fibre swabs (Nylon,Polyester, Rayon, or Dacron), probes and primers specific for Covid-19 testing, along with nine others.

Meanwhile, the restrictions on the export of specific diagnostic kits, reagents, and instruments such as swabs sterile synthetic fibre, silicon columns and magnetic stand were also kept intact by the government. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had on April 4th imposed restrictions on exports of all diagnostic kits and reagents to deal with the coronavirus crisis, given their criticality for testing of patients.

Some of the other products which are still under restricted category include VTM kits, RNA extraction kits, RT-PCR kits and reagents, 15mn falcon tube, beads, probes (specific for Covid-19 testing), and reverse transcriptase enzymes. “All other diagnostic kits/reagents/instruments/apparatus… are freely exportable subject to submission of an undertaking by the exporter to the customs authorities at the time of export,” DGFT stated in the amended notification.