EU keeps excempting import tax for masks and PPE
EU keeps excempting import tax for masks and PPE
EU keeps excempting import tax for masks and PPE. The EU continues to temporarily exempt imported medical equipment and personal protective equipment from tariffs
The European Union announced on October 28 that it will continue to temporarily exempt imported medical equipment and personal protective equipment from tariffs and value-added taxes, thereby reducing the cost of masks, ventilators and other materials entering the EU market, and helping member states respond to the COVID-19 pneumonia epidemic.
The European Commission stated in an announcement on the same day that the current number of new coronavirus infections within the EU is increasing, and member states still need to import medical equipment and personal protective equipment to deal with the epidemic. For this reason, the EU decided to extend the validity of the existing tax exemption measures to April 30 next year. day.
After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pneumonia epidemic at the beginning of this year, at the request of all member states and the United Kingdom, which is still in the “Brexit” transition period, the EU announced on April 3 that it would temporarily exempt imported medical equipment and personal protective equipment from tariffs and value-added tax. The tax holiday period will be calculated from January 30 this year and will be valid for six months but can be extended as appropriate.
According to the European Commission’s announcement, from the perspective of the duty-free period, masks are still the EU’s most imported medical supplies, with imports accounting for almost half of the total imports of medical supplies; now the EU has issued more detailed tariffs for imported masks. To strengthen the quality supervision of imported masks.
In addition to continuing to temporarily exempt masks, ventilators and other materials from tariffs and value-added tax, the EU also proposed on the 28th that member states expand the scope of tax exemption, and temporarily exempt hospitals and medical staff from purchasing COVID-19 vaccines and virus detection kits, and further reduce medical care. Institutions respond to the burden of the epidemic, and the tax holiday will last until the WHO announces the end of the epidemic or the EU announces a new value-added tax scheme.
