WTO Releases List of COVID-19 Trade Bottlenecks, Trade-Facilitating Measures

The World Trade Organization released a list of trade bottlenecks and trade-facilitating measures on critical COVID-19 products in a July 20 publication, ahead of the July 21 High-Level Dialogue by the World Health Organization and WTO on expanding COVID-19 vaccines manufacturing to promote equitable access. The indicative list covers vaccine production inputs, vaccine distribution and approval, therapeutics and pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical devices. The publication also lays out suggestions made by speakers at the WTO's webinar on regulatory cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic, which include general import, export and transit procedures, and vaccine manufacturing and regulatory approval. “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,” the WTO said in an accompanying news release.