The Centre has relaxed the export restrictions it had introduced earlier this month on 13 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and an equal number of formulations made from them.
In a notification, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said all the formulations in the March 3 notification will be permitted for export under the advance licences issued on or before the date of notification. However, no enhancement of quantity will be permittedfor import and export items in these Advance Licences.
Another notification said as per SEZ Rules, the restrictions on exports do not apply to SEZs. “It is therefore clarified that the exports of restricted APIs and formulations made from these APIs is allowed from SEZ units,” it said.
The changes follow representations from exporters highlighting issues faced by them in fulfilling export obligations under Advance Authorization scheme as well as from SEZ units, the DGFT said.
Close on the heels of the March 3 notification, Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India Director General Ravi Uday Bhaskar had pointed out how for exporters the restrictions will be a problem and bound to impact their reputation. The restrictions were bound to come in the way of the commitments made and not complying with them may result in complications for exporters, he had said. Pharmexcil had also represented the matter to the DGFT, seeking relaxation of the restrictions for shipments lying at ports.
Figuring in the list of 26 items were common fever medicine paracetamol and several antibiotics, Vitamin B1, B6 and B12 as well as formulations made from them.
