US embassy cable - 05CARACAS1332

UNCLAS CARACAS 001332 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
USDOC FOR 6132/MAS/MFG/OHCG/SFRANCIS 
USDOC FOR 3134/OIO/WH/DDEVITO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BEXP, ETRD, VE 
SUBJECT: IMPORT REGULATIONS FOR USED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT 
 
REF: USDOC 00292 
 
1. The questions asked in reftel will be answered in the same 
sequence: 
 
A.There are no special regulations or customs tariffs that 
apply to used or refurbished medical equipment, which do not 
apply to new products. No customs duties discounts are granted 
for the import of used equipment. However, internal 
regulations within the government prohibit all government 
entities or operations from importing or using used equipment. 
While not subject to laws or regulations, private banks upon 
financing the acquisition of medical equipment as a rule will 
not grant financing to imports of used or refurbished 
equipment. We have heard of some isolated cases, where a bank 
will entertain a request for financing if the refurbished 
equipment is covered by warranties. 
B.If a medical device has been registered and authorized 
for sale by the Ministry of Health and has been given its 
registration number, refurbished equipment of the same type 
can be legally imported by another company. However, if the 
refurbishment included improvements or changes affecting key 
components or if the application of the equipment is different 
from the originally registered one, the importer should 
request a reading from the Ministry to determine whether a new 
application for registration would be required. 
C.Public health institutions owned by a government agency 
including military are not allowed to buy and use refurbished 
or used medical devices. 
D.There is a somewhat limited market for used or 
refurbished medical equipment among the smaller private 
hospitals and clinics or among individual physicians. Most of 
of 
these potential buyers, however, will require the availability 
in the country of spare parts, service and in some cases a 
limited warranty. The used equipment market is driven mainly 
by the cost difference between used and new equipment. 
E.The potential market for used medical equipment consists 
mainly of electro-medical or other more expensive pieces of 
equipment, such as x-ray machines including dental units, 
electrocardiographs, ultrasound equipment, sterilizers, 
laparoscopy and colon or stomach viewers but normally does not 
include medical/surgical instruments. 
F.There appears to be no reprocessing on an industrial 
scope of single-use devices nor does there appear to be a 
commercial scale of sales of such reprocessed single use 
devices. Individual doctors and some of the very small clinics 
might at times wash and re-sterilize such devices if they are 
considered to be in good enough condition. 
MCFARLAND 
D 
 
 
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      2005CARACA01332 - UNCLASSIFIED