The Centre’s decision restricting export of specified active pharmaceutical ingredients and formulations made from these APIs, with immediate effect, has not gone down well with the exporters.
“For exporters, it is going to be a problem and will have an impact on our reputation,” said Ravi Uday Bhaskar, Director General of Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India . The restrictions are will come in the way of the commitments made and not complying with them will result in complications for the exporters, he said.
Pharmexcil, which is a body under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is also representing the matter to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade for relaxing the restrictions on the shipments lying at ports and also for the supplies meant for other countries, he said.
Presumably taken to avoid shortage of drugs in the country in the backdrop of Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, the DGFT notification moves 26 items, including common fever medicine paracetamol and several antibiotics, to the ‘Restricted’ for export category. Figuring in the list are also Vitamin B1, B6 and B12 as well as formulations made from them. It also comes weeks after the government sought details from drug manufacturers on APIs, key starting materials (KSMs) and intermediates they import from China. According to industry sources, the stock of raw materials are expected to last three months.
In a circular to the member companies, Pharmexcil sought to highlight the provision under which firms whose supplies are awaiting shipment at ports and have products meant for export markets can apply for the license online under the Restricted Export Item (Non SCOMET) with the DGFT.
“We are representing to the DGFT to exempt the shipments which are already in the ports,” Mr.Bhaskar said.
