According to the 2024 Tariff Adjustment Plan recently published by the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, China waives import tariffs for 62 active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) of anti-cancer drugs and 5 APIs of rare disease drugs, starting from January 1, 2024.
The plan covers 1,010 commodities, with interim import tax rates being set lower than most-favored-nation tariffs for the year 2024.
Notably, certain medical products will be exempted from import taxes. Apart from APIs for the anti-cancer and rare disease drugs listed below, medical products such as nirmatrelvir for COVID-19, insulins for diabetes, vaccines, gene therapies, and more will also enjoy interim zero tariffs.
Table: APIs of anti-cancer and rare disease drugs exempted from China’s import tariffs in 2024
No. | Tax code | Commodity | 2024 MFN tariff % | 2024 interim tariff % |
APIs of drugs for cancer | ||||
1 | 28439000 | Oxaliplatin; Carboplatin; Nedaplatin; Cisplatin | 5.5 | 0 |
2 | 28459000 | Donafenib tosilate | 5 | 0 |
3 | 29053990 | Busulfan | 5.5 | 0 |
4 | 29225090 | Mitoxantrone hydrochloride | 6.5 | 0 |
5 | 29242990 | Flutamide | 6.5 | 0 |
6 | 29309090 | Bicalutamide | 6.5 | 0 |
7 | 29329990 | Docetaxel; Paclitaxel | 6.5 | 0 |
8 | 29329990 | Icariin | 6.5 | 0 |
9 | 29331990 | Savolitinib | 6.5 | 0 |
10 | 29333990 | Gimestat; Apatinib mesylate; Chidamide； Niraparib tosilate | 6.5 | 0 |
11 | 29334900 | Pyrotinib maleate | 6.5 | 0 |
12 | 29335990 | Imatinib mesylate; Azathioprine; Pemetrexed disodium; Calcium levofolinate; Flumatinib mesylate; Almonertinib mesylate; Zanubrutinib; Olverembatinib | 6.5 | 0 |
13 | 29336990 | Oteracil potassium | 6.5 | 0 |
14 | 29337900 | Lenalidomide | 9 | 0 |
15 | 29339900 | Anastrozole; Letrozole; Bortezomib; Temozolomide; Pamiparib | 6.5 | 0 |
16 | 29341090 | Dasatinib | 6.5 | 0 |
17 | 29349990 | Decitabine; Floxuridine; Cyclophosphamide; Gefitinib; Capecitabine; Raltitrexed; Fludarabine phosphate; Tegafur; Cytarabine; Cytarabine hydrochloride; Icotinib hydrocholride; Gemcitabine hydrochloride; Ifosfamide; Fruquintinib | 6.5 | 0 |
18 | 29371900 | Triptorelin acetate | 4 | 0 |
19 | 29372319 | Formestane | 4 | 0 |
20 | 29372900 | Exemestane | 4 | 0 |
21 | 29397990 | Vinorelbine tartrate; Vincristine sulfate; Topotecan hydrochloride； Irinotecan hydrochloride | 4 | 0 |
22 | 29419090 | Pirarubicin; Mitomycin; Epirubicin hydrochloride; Doxorubicin hydrochloride; Bleomycin A5 ydrochloride; Daunorubicin hydrochloride; Idarubicin hydrochloride | 6 | 0 |
APIs of drugs for rare diseases | ||||
1 | 29309090 | Penicillamine | 6.5 | 0 |
2 | 29337900 | Pirfenidone | 9 | 0 |
3 | 29342000 | Riluzole | 6.5 | 0 |
4 | 29359000 | Bosentan | 6.5 | 0 |
5 | 29375000 | Treprostinil | 4 | 0 |
Contact BaiPharm if you'd like to know more about drug regulations and policies in China.
