Govt lifts export ban on 8 commodities

A recent notification by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has said that the government has removed eight more items, including a kind of gas mask and surgical blades, from the list of banned export items. A few days ago (on 8 Feb), the government removed surgical masks and gloves from the banned list. The ban was imposed last month by the government in a bid to curb shortages of all kinds of personal protection equipment including N-95 masks and due to the outbreak of Coronavirus in China.

These freely exportable items are all ophthalmic instruments and appliances except medical goggles; surgical blades; nonwoven shoe covers; breathing appliances used by airmen, divers, mountaineers or firemen; gas masks with chemical absorbent for filtration against poisonous vapour, smoke, gases; HDPE (high-density polyethylene) tarpaulin/ plastic tarpaulin; PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) conveyor belt and biopsy punch.

The notification clarified “However, export of all other personal protection equipment including N-95 masks or other items not specified in the exceptions above shall remain prohibited.”