EIC, USFDA ink pact to share information on import alerts

NEW DELHI: Export Inspection Council of India and the US health regulator have signed an agreement to facilitate sharing of information relating to import alerts.

The pact would "allow EIC (Export Inspection Council) to conduct quick cause analysis in time to support the Indian exporter," the commerce and industry ministry said in a tweet.

The move assumes significance as greater scrutiny by the US Food and Drug Administration(USFDA) is emerging as a key challenge for Indian companies particularly in the pharmaceutical sector.

The EIC, under the commerce ministry, was set to ensure sound development of export trade of India through quality control and inspection.

The issuance of warning letters and import alerts for domestic manufacturing facilities had increased significantly over the past couple of years following USFDA's greater focus on compliance of guidelines of cGMP (current good manufacturing practice) by pharmaceutical companies.