Corona crisis: Commission exempts imports of medical equipment from non-EU countries from customs duties and VAT

As a contribution to the fight against the coronavirus, the Commission decided on 03.04.2020 to accept the requests from the Member States and the United Kingdom for a temporary exemption from customs duties and VAT on imports of medical devices and protective equipment from third countries. This provides financial relief for the supply of urgently needed medical equipment to doctors, nursing staff and patients. The measure affects masks, protective equipment and test kits, as well as ventilators and other medical equipment. It is valid for a period of 6 months, but can be extended even further.