In its efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government today prohibited the export of all ventilators, including any artificial respiratory apparatus or oxygen therapy apparatus or any other breathing appliance/device. The Ventilators were put in the prohibited category on 19th March, 2020 itself. However, the notification (No 53/2015-2020) issued by Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry today further amended the export policy. It widens the ambit of products under the prohibited category and will prevent any scope of export of these items by any other classification.The Government has also prohibited the export of all Sanitizers.

India also bans export of Hydroxychloroquine with immediate effect. But,exports from SEZs/EOU,shipments where Irrevocable Letter of Credit has been issued & on humanitarian grounds on case-to-case basis as recommended by External Affairs Ministry to be allowed.It has been allowed by ICMR for people at High Risk of Contracting #COVID. In a notification issued on Wednesday, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), an arm of the commerce ministry which deals with export and import-related matters, said, “The export of hydroxychloroquine and formulations made from hydroxychloroquine is prohibited with immediate effect“.