COVID-19: India to export N95, FFFP2 masks freely to countries across the world

Making all kinds of masks freely exportable, India on Tuesday removed the restriction on the export of N-95/FFP2 masks. Earlier in August, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had allowed a monthly export quota of 50 lakh units for N-95/FFP2 masks or its equivalent for issuance of export licences to eligible applicants.

“The export policy of N-95/FFP-2 masks or its equivalent is amended from restricted to free category, making all types of masks freely exportable,” the DGFT said in a notification.

Taking to Twitter, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal also apprised about the development and mentioned that make in India is spurring economic growth and employment while helping the world battle COVID-19.

Furthermore, India has fixed a monthly export quota of 4 crore units per month for 2/3 ply surgical masks and 20 lakh units per month for medical goggles for issuing export licenses to eligible applicants. The country had in February banned exports of many medical textiles including clothing and masks. The decision to ban the export of critical health equipment was taken by the central government at the time of the onset of Coronavirus in the country in March, to ensure availability for domestic needs.

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Earlier in September, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry allowed the export of the medical equipment to other countries. The decision taken by the government to resume the export of critical medical equipment comes even as the country is registering a record increase in the number of Coronavirus cases in the world. Reports of the shortage and lack of critical medical equipment for the healthcare staff members including doctors, nurses, and on-field workers had also emerged in the last few months.

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Impact of COVID-19 outbreak around the globe

The catastrophic COVID-19 pandemic has globally infected over 3,55,00,000 people of which nearly 10,44,000 have succumbed to the virus according to Worldometer. The pandemic has not only caused a health crisis but also caused one of the bloodiest of global economic slowdown due to the lockdowns imposed in the majority of the developed countries across the world, even as potential vaccines against the Coronavirus are still in developmental stages. 

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organisation was proposing to vaccinate some people in all countries against the coronavirus, rather than all people in some countries. Speaking at a WHO executive board special session in Geneva on Monday, Tedros said that by doing this the world would be opened up faster.

"When the world is opened faster, then there will be trade and investment opportunities. So each and every country not only benefits from better health, better... I mean, ending the pandemic, but at the same time faster economic recovery," he added.

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