Covid-19: Less red tape for medical exports to SACU countries

Exports of personal protective equipment, hand sanitisers and certain medications from South Africa to Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana and Namibia, were simplified when the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) gazetted changes to the country’s lockdown regulations yesterday (June 11).

Previously, lockdown regulations dictated that such goods could not be exported from the country without an export permit issued in terms of the International Trade Administration Act (which also required a recommendation from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition).

The categories of medicines that may now be exported without such an export permit include penicillin, antibiotics, hormones and vitamins for veterinary use, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim, macrolides, fluoroquioles, aminoglycosides and “other medicaments containing ephedrine and/or norephodrine or its salts.

In addition, export permits will not be required for individual prescriptions or for clinical trials.

Meanwhile, medicines such as narrow and broad spectrum penicillin, cephalosporin, antibiotics, hormones and vitamins (all for human use) remain subject to Covid-19 export control.

Also read: Permits you need during Lockdown Level 3

Spokesperson, Sidwell Medupe said, “These medicines deemed critical in the fight against Covid-19. Therefore government will no longer require export permits when exporting to members of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) or for clinical trials”.

At time of publication, Botswana had registered 48 Covid-19 cases and one death.

Lesotho’s four cases had not resulted in death, nor had Namibia’s 31. Eswatini had lost three to the virus and its infection total reached 449. South Africa reached 58 568 and 1 284.

The DTI’s changes to South Africa’s lockdown regulations included the following:

• Directions on call centres providing essential services that applied during previous lockdown stages are withdrawn.
• Directions on the sale of cars and emergency automobile repairs that applied during previous lockdown stages are withdrawn; since June 8, 100 per cent of employees were allowed back at dealerships.
• Directions on the sale of clothing, footwear and bedding published on May 12, 2020, expired on May 31 and since been withdrawn.
• The Covid-19 block exemption granted to the retail property sector, which was designed to benefit retailers such as those in clothing. footwear, home textile retailers, personal care services and restaurants, has been extended to retailers in the cinema exhibition industry.

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