Now, no import duty on drugs for rare diseases
Centre issues notification exempting all drugs, special foods for treating rare diseases from import customs duties
image for illustrative purpose
• Cancer drug Pembrolizumab in exemption list
Hyderabad: Giving a major relief to those suffering from rare diseases, the central government on Thursday gave full exemption from basic customs duty on all drugs as well as food for special medical purposes imported for treatment of all rare diseases and personal use under the National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021. A general exemption notification was issued on this.
"In order to avail this exemption, the individual importer has to produce a certificate from Central or State Director Health Services or District Medical Officer/Civil Surgeon of the district. Drugs or medicines generally attract basic customs duty of 10 per cent, while some categories of lifesaving drugs and vaccines attract concessional rate of 5 per cent or nil," the Centre said in an official release.
