From January 1, 2026, human and animal blood, as well as its derivatives, will be exempt from value added tax, both within the territory and upon import. This provision, provided for in article 7 of the 2026 Finance Law, corrects an aberration that is as silent as it is unfair.
Because for years, a vital product, often obtained free of charge through donations, has paradoxically been subject to a tax charge. We should not have to applaud such a measure, as it seems to be common sense. However, she was expected. It repairs the inconsistency of a system where blood, an element of survival, was considered an ordinary commercial good.
By removing it from the field of taxation, the legislator finally recognizes its unique nature. However, this progress cannot be an end in itself. At most, it constitutes one lever among others to relieve a transfusion sector under pressure. The figures clearly show how structural the emergency is.
To cite only the stocks, should we remember that they barely cover more than a week’s consumption in certain regions? Because beyond the cost, there is the question of access. Hospitals face recurring tensions. Patients with chronic conditions depend on constant access to blood-derived products, some of which still have to be imported at great expense.
Now, if the VAT exemption can partially reduce the cost, it does not guarantee their availability. And this is where the need to invest in local production becomes imperative, as does the modernization of blood centers and the building of true health sovereignty.
Blood is not a biological flow like any other. It is an indicator of collective health, but also of a social project. If the measure introduced by this Finance Law is a welcome fiscal gesture, it will only be truly useful if it is part of a global, coherent and ambitious strategy.
Meriem Allam / ECO Inspirations