WTO Lists Bottlenecks to Critical COVID-19 Products

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Secretariat has issued an indicative list of trade-related bottlenecks and trade-facilitating measures on critical products to combat COVID-19.

These includes inputs used in vaccine manufacturing, vaccine distribution and approval, therapeutics and pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical devices.

The list released in advance of a High-Level Dialogue by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the WTO today on expanding COVID-19 vaccines manufacturing to promote equitable access.

The indicative list was based on issues identified and suggestions made by speakers at the WTO webinar Regulatory Cooperation during the COVID-19 Pandemic, in June, and the WTO symposium COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain and Regulatory Transparency, on June 29, 2021.

On trade-related bottlenecks, the list identified a series of issues raised by speakers at those events in relation to: vaccine manufacturing and its inputs; vaccine regulatory approval; vaccine distribution; therapeutics and pharmaceuticals; and diagnostics and medical devices.

Regarding possible trade-facilitating measures, the list included 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.

One common theme that emerged from the list was 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.

The Secretariat indicative list of, “Trade-related bottlenecks and trade-facilitating measures on critical products to combat COVID-19” can be found here.