April 16, 2020 – The HS Classification Reference for COVID-19 Medical Supplies was recently updated, in a more structured and user-friendly format, to reflect more of the products that would be required in the professional opinion and experience of the World Health Organization (WHO) in public health and World Customs Organization (WCO).
The first HS classification reference for COVID-19 medical supplies, published by the WCO at the dedicated section of its website two weeks ago, was an initial response of the Secretariat to help countries in their fight against the spread of COVID-19.
The initial list contained the classification of essential products needed such as COVID-19 diagnostic test kits and masks, certain protective personal equipment and medical devices such as ventilators and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), consumables and disinfectant products that may be used for the prevention and treatment of the disease.
The latest edition expands this list to cover a greater range of medical equipment and supplies that are required as critical items by the WHO, such as oxygen concentrators and sample collection sets.
The list of HS-coded medical supplies was widely appreciated by stakeholders and taken into consideration by governments when preparing their responses to secure and facilitate trade in these supplies. It serves as the basis for identifying the cross-border movement of the products needed during the pandemic, applying contingent tariff and non-tariff relief policies, monitoring and combating falsified supplies, and even for taking responsive actions to address shortages.
The updated list is provided as an indicative list with a view to facilitating the classification of COVID-19 medical supplies at the international level (6 digit of the HS). Economic operators are kindly advised to consult with the relevant Customs administrations in relation to classification at domestic levels (7 or more digits) or in the event of any discrepancy between their practices and this list.
The list is provided in sections as follows:
Section I. COVID 19 Test kits/ Instruments and apparatus used in Diagnostic Testing 2
Section II. Protective garments and the like
Section III. Disinfectants and sterilization products
Section IV. Oxygen Therapy equipment and pulse oximeters
Section V. Other medical devices and equipment
Section VI. Other Medical Consumables
Section VII. Vehicles
Section VIII. Other
The Second Edition of the HS Classification reference list for COVID-19 medical supplies can be found in the WCO COVID-19 dedicated page.