The Centre on Friday removed restrictions on the exports of medicines made from paracetamol amid the coronavirus outbreak.
However, restrictions on export of Paracetamol active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs or raw materials) will not be lifted, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.
“…The formulations made from Paracetamol (including fixed-dose combinations)…are made free for export with immediate effect. However, Paracetamol APIs will remain restricted for export,” it said.
In order to export a product placed under the restricted category, an exporter requires no-objection certificate or permission of a licence from the DGFT.
The British government had recently lauded India as the first consignment of 2,800,000 packets of paracetamol from India is set to be distributed across the country’s supermarkets and retailers in UK.
“This will mean nearly 3 million more packets of paracetamol on British supermarket shelves,” UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Coronavirus is the largest threat we have all faced in decades, so it’s imperative that we work together to continue global trade and keep supply chains open. I’d like to extend a big thank you to officials both in the UK and India who worked hard on this agreement and I look forward to working with India and other countries soon to ensure we beat COVID-19,” she said.