COVID19 vaccines to be exempted from customs duty till December 31

In a bid to make foreign-made COVID19 vaccines affordable in the domestic market, the Union government has exempted custom for the remaining duration of this year i.e. till December 31.

In a notification dated September 29, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) announced that the exemption would come into force on October 1, 2021, and remain in effect up to December 31, 2021.

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At present, Russia’s Sputnik V is the only foreign-origin COVID19 vaccine which is being used for inoculation against Coronavirus in India.

This is the second time that the Indian government has exempted the customs duty on the COVID19 vaccines. Before this, such an exemption was announced on April 23 and lasted till July 31.

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Following the conclusion of the three-month period in July, COVID19 vaccines import attracted 10 per cent customs duty.