Covid-19 and World Trade
Geneva: The World Trade Organisation secretariat has identified inputs used in vaccine manufacturing, vaccine distribution and approval, therapeutics and pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical devices in its indicative list of trade-related bottlenecks on critical products to combat COVID-19.
The indicative list is based on issues identified and suggestions made by speakers at the WTO webinar Regulatory Cooperation during the COVID-19 Pandemic, on 2 June 2021, and the WTO symposium COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain and Regulatory Transparency, on June 29, 2021.
The list is being released in advance of a High-Level Dialogue by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the WTO on July 21, 2021 on expanding COVID-19 vaccines manufacturing to promote equitable access.
Click here for the complete list
Regarding possible trade-facilitating measures, the list includes suggestions by speakers in connection with: general import, export and transit procedures; vaccine manufacturing and its inputs; vaccine regulatory approval; therapeutics (pharmaceuticals); diagnostics and medical devices; and general regulatory aspects.
Also read: WTO issues joint indicative list of critical inputs for COVID-19 vaccines
One common theme that emerges from the list is that essential goods and inputs need to flow efficiently and expeditiously to support the rapid scaling up of COVID-19 production capacity worldwide. The delay of a single component may significantly slow down, or even halt, vaccine production given the globally integrated supply chains that underpin COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing.
The list is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all specific trade barriers, nor does it make any judgement on the existence or importance of bottlenecks, nor on the desirability of implementing any of the suggestions on trade-facilitating measures.
– global bihari bureau
