IMPACCT Working Group: Customs and Humanitarian Relief

COVID-19

This page provides information on Importation and Customs clearance procedures for countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as useful resources from the IMPACCT WG partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Customs Organization (WCO), among others.

HS classification
Joint World Customs Organization (WCO) and World Health Organization (WHO) HS classification list for COVID-19 medical supplies: 2.1. Edition - 30 April 2020 (English) 2.1. Edition - 30 April 2020 (French)

ASYREC
ASYREC and COVID-19 - Relief of Emergency Consignments ASYREC et COVID-19 - Simplification des envois d'urgence

AFRICA

Regional

East African Community (EAC) Administrative Guidelines to Facilitate Movement of Goods Services (April 2020)
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and World Customs Organization (WCO) : List of HS Codes for COVID-19 related items (20 April 2020)
Southern African Development Community (SADC) Guidelines on Cross-Border Transport (6 April 2020)

Angola

COVID-19 - Customs administrations measures to prevent the spread of infection (24 March 2020)

Burkina Faso

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 2 (29 May 2020)
COVID-19 - Classement de référence dans le SH des fournitures médicales liées au COVID-19
COVID-19 - Arrêté Interministériel portant sur l'importation des produits de santé (25 mars 2020)

Cameroon

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 4 (18 May 2020)
COVID-19 - Directorate General of Customs - 24 March 2020

Central African Republic

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 3 (21 May 2020)
COVID-19 - Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects (21 avril 2020)

Chad

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 1 (27 May 2020)

Côte d'Ivoire

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 2 (26 mai 2020)
COVID-19 - Circulaire 2077 : Mesures de facilitation des formalités douanières (31 mars 2020)
COVID-19 - Circulaire 2078 : Suspension des contrôles douaniers a posteriori pour une période de 3 mois (6 avril 2020)
COVID-19 - Circulaire 2079 : Allègement de la procédure de délivrance des attestations de régularité douanière (6 avril 2020)
COVID-19 - Circulaire 2080 : Procédure d'enlèvement par bon provisoire (6 avril 2020)
COVID-19 - Circulaire 2081 : Transmission des manifestes par voie électronique (6 avril 2020)

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 2 (25 mai 2020)
COVID-19 - Direction Générale des Douanes et Accises (DGDA) : Mesures prises dans le cadre de la pandémie COVID-19 (21 avril 2020)

Ghana

COVID-19 - Announcement from Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority on Port Clearance (added on 15 April 2020)

Liberia

Liberia Revenue Authority - FAQ Customs Goods Clearance
Liberia Revenue Authority - Procedure for Clearing Air Freight
Medicines & Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA) Act (2010)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Revenue Code Amendments Act (2016)
Ministry of Health - 2nd Edition National Standard Therapeutic Guidelines and Essential Medicines List (2017)
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare - Guidelines for the Donation of Medicines and Medical Supplies (2014)

Mali

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 1 (18 May 2020)
COVID-19 - Accord douanier entre les Nations Unies et le Gouvernment de la République du Mali (fait le 23 juillet 2009)
Direction Générale des Douanes - Circulaire n°0010 (31 mars 2020) - Procédure spéciale pour la lutte contre le COVID-19
Direction Générale des Douanes - Circulaire n°0012 (31 mars 2020) - Classement dans le HS

Mauritius

COVID-19 - Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) : Measures taken by MRA Customs (16 April 2020)

Namibia

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 2 (02 June 2020)
COVID-19 - Customs and Excise (21 April 2020)

Niger

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 3 (27 mai 2020)
COVID-19 - Directorate General of Customs (16 April 2020)
COVID-19 - Ministère des Finances : Avis aux usagers (10 avril 2020)

Nigeria

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 2 (25 May 2020)
Customs and Excise - Notices (2017)
Customs and Excise - Notice No. 21 (1968)
Customs and Excise - Notice No. 37 (1967)
Customs and Excise Management Act - Arrangement of Sections (2017)
Federal Ministry of Health - Operational Guidelines on the Procurement or Donation of Pharmaceuticals and Other Healthcare Products (2017)
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) - Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Product (2016)
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) - List of Banned Substances

Senegal

COVID-19 - Direction Générale des Douanes (23 avril 2020)

Sierra Leone

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 1 (27 May 2020)
Revenue and Tax Policy Unit - Guidelines on Duty and Tax Exemptions (2018)

South Sudan

COVID-19 - Information from Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (RRC) in South Sudan (6 April 2020)

Togo

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 1 (05 May 2020)
COVID-19 - Togo Revenue Authority: Measures adopted to manage the COVID-19 pandemic (28 April 2020)

Zimbabwe

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 1 (07 May 2020)
COVID-19 - Customs and Excise (Amendment) Regulations, 2020 (No. 101)]

AMERICA

Regional

COVID-19 - Measures adopted by AMS Customs in response to COVID-19

Chile

COVID-19 - Information from Chilean Customs (26 March 2020) - v01

Colombia

COVID-19 - Decreto 410 - Arancel de aduanas (16 Marzo 2020)

Dominican Republic

COVID-19 - Acuerdo entre las Naciones y el Gobierno de la Republica Dominicana sobre los envios de socorro (14 avril 2020)
COVID-19 - Eliminacion temporal impuestos articulos medicos (2 avril 2020)

Ecuador

COVID-19 - Measures adopted by the Customs National Authority (April 2020)
COVID-19 - Medidas adoptadas por la Autoridad Aduanera Ecuaroriana (Abril 2020)

Haiti

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 1 (03 June 2020)

Panama

COVID-19 - Modificacion del arancel - Decreto 604 (added on 14 April 2020)

Peru

COVID-19 - Resolución de Superintendencia Nacional Adjunta de Aduanas No. 006-2020-SUNAT/300000
Importación para el Consumo, Procedimiento Especifico - Donaciones Provenientes del Exterior

Salvador

COVID-19 - Modificacion del arancel (19 marzo 2020)

United States

COVID-19 - Prioritization and Allocation of Certain Scarce or Threatened Health and Medical Resources for Domestic Use (10 April 2020)
COVID-19 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Response to COVID (24 March 2020)

ASIA

Afghanistan

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 5 (26 May 2020)
COVID-19 - Afghanistan Access Impediment Report II (29 April 2020)
COVID-19 - Change in Tariff Rates for chlore, detergents, surgical gloves, breathing appliances and gas masks
COVID-19 - ACD DG Letter to Provincial Customs ACD DG Letter to Provincial Customs

Bangladesh

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 4 (20 May 2020)
COVID-19 - certificates needed for NOC certificate (Bengali) (Added 27 April)
COVID-19 - SRO-92 - Tax exemption of COVID-19 medical supplies (Bengali) (added 15 April 2020)
COVID-19 - National Board of Revenue Best practices (English) (3 April 2020)

China

COVID-19 - Information from Chinese Customs (20 March 2020) - v01
COVID-19 - Questionnaire : Exit/ Entry Health Declaration From of the People's Republic of China (13 March 2020)
COVID-19 - Practices of China Customs on Containing COVID-19 (26 March 2020)

Kazakhstan

COVID-19 - Information from Kazakhstan Customs (24 March 2020) - v01

Myanmar

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 1 (18 May 2020)
COVID-19 - MOC - Lifting of import license fees for raw materials to manufacture medicines/medicinal equipment (Burmese) (12 April 2020)

Pakistan

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 2 (18 May 2020)
COVID-19 - SRO 235 Exempting medical items from Customs duties (20 March 2020)
COVID-19 - SRO 239 Items banned for exportation from Pakistan (24 March 2020)
COVID-19 - SRO 297 Prohibiting the export of COVID-19 related drug (9 April 2020)
COVID-19 - SRO 318 clarifying SRO 235 (16 April 2020)
COVID-19 - Ministry of the Interior announcement (15 May 2020)

Philippines

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 3 (20 May 2020)
COVID-19 - Republic Act No. 11469 Declaring National Emergency (25 March 2020)
COVID-19 - Philippines Customs Administrative Order 07-2020 (30 March 2020)

Sri Lanka

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 1 (4 May 2020)
COVID-19 - Sri Lanka Customs Announcement (18 April 2020)

Turkey

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 1 (26 May 2020)
COVID-19 - Customs Notice on disinfectant alcohol (Turkish) (25 March 2020)
COVID-19 - Customs Notice on duties for ventilators (Turkish) (25 March 2020)
COVID-19 - Customs Notice on disposable medical masks (Turkish) (25 March 2020)
COVID-19 - Legislation from the Ministry of Trade on Relief from Customs Duties (6 April 2020)
COVID-19: Export Procedure from Turkey to Syria (5 May 2020)

United Arab Emirates

Dubai Customs Services - Guide (Arabic)
Dubai Customs Services - Guide (English)

EUROPE
France COVID-19 : Importation en franchise de droits et taxes de materiel sanitaire Ukraine COVID-19 - Information from Ukrainian Customs (2 April 2020) - v01

MENA

Iran

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 3 (19 May 2020)
COVID-19 - Circular on the prohibition of exporting medical equipment (added 17 April 2020)
COVID-19 - Circular on the prohibition of the export of items (added 17 April 2020)
COVID-19 - Circular on regulation on the production of medical masks (added 17 April 2020)

Iraq

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 3 (22 May 2020)

Lebanon

Bulletin on Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Procedures Nr 2 (22 May 2020)
COVID-19 - Decree Preventing the Export of PPE (22 February 2020)

OCEANIA
Regional Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO) Secretariat - COVID-19 Guidance Document

Useful resources

The COVID-19 outbreak represents a serious threat to the lives of the most vulnerable populations in the world. The IMPACCT WG mission is to facilitate access to relief items in this critical period. To this end, please find below useful documentation and updates on the regulations put into place in time of COVID-19.

Work of the IMPACCT working group in response to COVID-19

IMPACCT Working Group: Update on COVID-19 response and next steps

Minutes of the IMPACCT WG Meetings

Minutes 1 - 27 March 2020
Minutes 2 - 9 April 2020

Customs

a. COVID-19 Guidance to import humanitarian goods for humanitarian operators

Arabic
English
French
Spanish

b. More resources on Customs

European Commission (EC) : Guidance on Customs Issues related to the COVID-19 emergency
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) : How Customs can protect us from the coronavirus (Spanish)
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) : How Customs can protect us from the coronavirus (English)
World Customs Organization (WCO) : Counterfeit medical supplies and introduction of export controls on personal protective equipment (English)
World Customs Organization (WCO) : Counterfeit medical supplies and introduction of export controls on personal protective equipment (French)
World Customs Organization (WCO) : Glossary of International Customs Terms (English)
World Customs Organization (WCO) : Glossary of International Customs Terms (French)
World Customs Organization (WCO) : Webpage on COVID-19
World Customs Organization (WCO) : What Customs can do to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic ?
World Health Organization (WHO) : Handbook for public health capacity-building at ground crossings and cross-border collaboration

Export - Authorization / Restrictions

European Commission (EC) : Export Authorization (French)
European Commission (EC) : Export Authorization (English)

Airports and Flight Restrictions

CAPSCA : Collaborative Arrangement for the Prevention and Management of Public Health Events in Civil Aviation
International Air Transport Association (IATA) : Government measures related to COVID-19
International Air Transport Association (IATA) : Thematic webpage updating all the travel restrictions per country
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) : Airport Status
International SOS : Travel restrictions, flight operations and screening
World Food Programme (WFP) : World Travel Restrictions
Wilhelmsen : Global Port Restrictions Map