Personal protective equipment (PPE): export control process
Updated 5 May 2020
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Introduction
As part of the response to coronavirus (COVID-19), the UK has implemented Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/568 to ensure an adequate supply of vital PPE equipment within the UK, the European Union, the EFTA member states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) and certain dependent and other territories.
This PPE export control process was first implemented on 14 March 2020 (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/402, as amended by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/426), and was in force for a 6 week period.
The revised regulation (Implementing Regulation 2020/568) came into force on 26 April 2020. It will initially last for 30 days, until (and including) 25 May 2020.
Who this guidance is for
This guidance is aimed at economic operators, including manufacturers and distributors, established in the UK and wishing to export PPE goods to a destination outside of the EU, EFTA or certain dependent and other territories.
Anyone who wishes to export any of the relevant goods to a destination outside of the above areas will now need a PPE export licence.
What goods the legislation covers
The goods covered by the legislation are set out in Annex I of the regulation. The goods covered by the legislation may change in future.
The goods currently covered are the following, which provide protection against potentially infectious material:
- protective spectacles and visors
- mouth-nose protection equipment
- face shields which include mouth-nose protection
- protective garments
Further details about the items covered by the legislation can be found in Annex I of the regulation.
The EU has also published an updated question and answer document on export requirements for personal protective equipment (PDF).
Applying for a PPE export licence
Anyone wishing to export any of the relevant products to a destination outside of the EU, EFTA and certain dependent and other territories needs a PPE export licence.
To apply for a licence, you should complete the application form.
Please send your completed forms to ppeexports@trade.gov.uk
If your export is for one or more of the purposes set out in the legislation and listed below, you will be asked to indicate this in box 6a in the application form. Where this is the case, please also state the purpose in your covering email.
We will respond within 5 working days from when we receive all the relevant information from you.
How we decide whether or not to grant an export licence
Where the proposed export would constitute emergency supplies in the context of humanitarian aid, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will grant the authorisation.
In any other case, DHSC will only grant a licence where the proposed consignment poses no threat to the availability of PPE in the UK or in the EU, and satisfies a legitimate need for official or professional medical use in the country concerned.
In determining whether a proposed export poses a threat to the availability of PPE in the EU, the UK authorities will liaise with the European Commission.
The relevant purposes set out in the legislation and referred to above are:
- to fulfil supply obligations under a joint procurement procedure in accordance with Article 5 of Decision No 1082/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council
- to support the rescEU stockpiling of medical countermeasures or PPE aimed at combating serious cross-border threats to health, as referred to in Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/570
- to respond to the request of assistance addressed to and handled by the UCPM (Union Civil Protection Mechanism) and to support concerted support actions coordinated by the Integrated Political Crisis Response Mechanism (IPCR), the Commission or other Union institutions
- to support the statutory activities of aid organisations abroad that enjoy protection under the Geneva Convention, provided that they do not impair the ability to work as a national aid organisation
- to support the activities of the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN)
- to supply foreign operations of the UK and EU member states including, military operations, international police missions and/or civilian international peacekeeping missions
- for the supply of UK, EU and member state delegations abroad
Breaching the restrictions
Exporting these goods, or attempting to do so with intent, without the necessary authorisation are offences under s68 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979.
Further advice and information
For both queries and applications, please contact us by email at ppeexports@trade.gov.uk.
As this is a new export control regime, we will be reviewing this guidance regularly over the coming weeks.
HRMC also has customs-specific guidance on exporting personal protective equipment (PPE) during the coronavirus pandemic.
List of other territories
Other territories include:
- Albania
- Andorra
- Anguilla
- Aruba
- Bermuda
- Bonaire
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- British Antarctic Territory
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Curaçao
- Faeroe Islands
- Falkland Islands
- French Polynesia
- French Southern and Antarctic Territories
- Gibraltar
- Greenland
- Kosovo
- Mayotte
- Montenegro
- Montserrat
- Netherlands Antilles
- New Caledonia and Dependencies
- North Macedonia
- Pitcairn
- Saba
- Saint Helena and Dependencies
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Sint Eustatius
- Sint Maarten
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- the Vatican City
- Wallis and Futuna Islands