Export restrictions put on 26 Pharma ingredients & medicines amid coronavirus outbreak in China

Union Government on Tuesday put export restrictions on 26 pharma ingredients and medicines, including paracetamol, antibiotics, vitamin B1 and B12, and hormones- with immediate effect, amid the coronavirus outbreak in China. With this, the export of these Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and formulations require a licence from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, DGFT.

The government is also exploring the measures to ensure there is no shortage of drugs in India as there is a lockdown in China's Hubei's province. Hubei, which is a major source of raw material or APIs, is the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.

"The export of specified APIs and formulations made from these APIs is hereby restricted with immediate effect and till further orders. API is the raw material for pharmaceuticals", said DGFT in a notification. The latest announcement assumes significance on account of concerns over coronavirus spreading too many countries.

Apart from paracetamol, vitamin B1, B6 and B12, other APIs and formulations over which the export restrictions have been imposed include Tinidazole, Metronidazole, Acyclovir, Progesterone, Chloramphenicol, Ornidazole, Formulations Made Of Chloramphenicol, Clindamycin Salts and Neomycin.

Earlier, there were no restrictions on outbound shipments of these products. The country's API imports stood at around 3.5 billion dollars per year and around 70 per cent come from China.

In February, the Department of Pharmaceuticals asked the DGFT to issue orders restricting the export of 12 APIs and formulations in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

The restrictions on the supply of raw materials for drugs from China were recommended by a high level formed by the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers. The committee was constituted t monitor the supply of raw materials for drugs from China.