On March 24, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a statement asserting they were taking actions to help with the supply of COVID-19-related materials, such as personal protective equipment and devices. FDA’s announcement explains that the FDA has adjusted its import screening process to “further expedite imports of legitimate products and are continually monitoring our import systems to prevent and mitigate any potential issues.” However, acknowledging the surge of medical supply imports—most legitimate, but some not—U.S. Customs and Border Protection published an Information Notice on April 2nd encouraging importers to provide “advanced notification to CBP when they are expecting shipment of pandemic relief materials.”
CBP published CSMS 42168200, on March 26th, to help clarify information and ease the flow of high-demand articles, such as PPE and related goods, through the import process. The guidance specified some of the COVID-19-related products that could be imported without FDA involvement, as well as goods falling under emergency use authorizations requiring reduced FDA information. According to the FDA, they are providing “maximum flexibility to those seeking to bring PPE in the U.S. and are ready and available to engage with importers to minimize disruptions during the importing process.”
Furthermore, Deringer has published “FAQ: Import of COVID-19-Related Goods” to give importers a centralized go-to resource listing frequently asked questions and additional related resources. For more information about importing COVID-19-related goods, please contact Deringer’s Compliance Department.