Oxygen crisis: Government permits import of concentrators bought through post, courier for personal use

New Delhi: The government on April 30 said it has included import of oxygen concentrators for personal use, purchased from e-commerce portals through post or courier, in the list of exempted categories, where customs clearance is sought as gifts, amid surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.

The exemption for oxygen concentrators is allowed only for a period till July 31, 2021, for personal use, according to a notification of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

An oxygen concentrator is a medical device that concentrates oxygen from ambient air. It is in high demand due to increasing COVID-19 cases in the country. These concentrators capture and filter the air, unlike oxygen cylinders which can only store a fixed amount of oxygen.

“Import of goods, including those purchased from e-commerce portals, through post or courier, where customs clearance is sought as gifts, is prohibited except for life saving drugs / medicines/ oxygen concentrators and rakhi (but not gifts related to rakhi),” the notification said.

Earlier, oxygen concentrators were not mentioned in the list. Now it has been added on account of its high demand due to COVID-19 cases.