Export from Australia of hand sanitiser, face masks and other infection control items are temporarily prohibited effective 30 March 2020. The Customs (Prohibited Exports) Amendment (COVID-19 Human Biosecurity Emergency) Regulations 2020 (Cth) (Regulation) amended the Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1958 (Cth) to temporarily prohibit export of goods that are key to minimising the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Australia. Under the Regulation, disposable face masks, disposable gloves, disposable gowns, goggles, glasses and eye visors,…
Following the adoption by the European Commission of Regulation (EU) 2020/402 on 15 March 2020, as amended on 20 March 2020, introducing a prior licensing requirement for exports of medical protective equipment from EU Member States to third countries (except for exports to EFTA Member States, namely including Switzerland), the Swiss Government has on 25 March 2020, as part of its COVID-19 regulatory framework, adopted a Regulation, taking effect on March 26, 12:00am, requiring a…
On 20 March 2020, the European Commission announced that it intends to introduce exemptions from customs duty and import VAT for “protective equipment, other relevant medical devices or equipment in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak”, following a request from the Italian government. Relief is to be granted under provisions of the EU’s customs and import VAT legislation granting relief for items “for the benefit of disaster victims”, where they are to be made available…
On 20 March 2020, the Commission published Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/426, amending the measures introduced on 15 March 2020 by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/402, which made the export of certain personal protective equipment (PPE) to outside the EU subject to an authorization requirement (please see our previous post here). These amendments modify the existing measures to exclude exports to EFTA Member States (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland), and to certain “overseas countries and territories” (the…