Export curbs now only on specific diagnostic kits, instruments: DGFT

New Delhi: The government on Wednesday decided to continue the export curbs only on specific diagnostic kits, reagents, and instruments such as swabs sterile synthetic fibre, silicon columns and magnetic stand, amid the coronavirus outbreak. In a notification, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said all other diagnostic kits/reagents/instruments/apparatus are freely exportable subject to submission of an undertaking by the exporter to the customs authorities at the time of export.

On April 4, DGFT had put restrictions on exports of all diagnostic kits and reagents. The move was aimed at dealing with the COVID-19 crisis as these products are required for testing of patients.

Reagents are substances or mixtures that are used in a chemical analysis.


Putting a product under the restricted category means that an exporter would require a licence from DGFT for outbound shipments.

Amending the notification dated April 4, it said only specified diagnostic kits/reagents/ instruments/apparatus "are restricted for exports whether as an individual item or as a part of any diagnostic kits/reagent".

The other products which are still under restricted category include VTM kits, RNA extraction kits, RT-PCR kits and reagents, 15mn falcon tube, beads, probes (specific for Covid-19 testing), and reverse transcriptase enzymes.