CBIC proactively put in place COVID Response Plan for speedy clearances of COVID vaccines at all airports

Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, CBIC has proactively put in place a COVID Response Plan for speedy clearances of COVID-19 vaccines at all major airports. The Plan provides for setting up of a COVID-19 Vaccine Response

Team at each Air Cargo and Courier Terminal. The Response Team will function as a single point of contact for all the clearance related to COVID-19 vaccine shipments and coordinate among the concerned stakeholders to ensure that vaccines are given instant delivery upon arrival.

CBIC has also enabled the import and export of vaccines in relation to COVID -19 through Courier, by issuing the Courier Imports and Exports (Electronic Declaration and Processing) Amendment Regulations, 2020.

The Courier Regulations earlier had certain limits on the value of goods that could be brought in through courier, whereas the amended regulations allow the import and export of COVID vaccines through courier without any value limit.

As the vaccines would be transported through special containers equipped with temperature monitoring and tracking devices, provision has also been made for their duty-free temporary admission.

CBIC would closely monitor the vaccine logistics to ensure their seamless movement at the borders and address any challenges that may arise in this regard.