U.S. and EU Commit to Reduce Export Barriers for COVID-19 Products

The U.S. and EU reached an agreement to reduce export restrictions for COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics at a summit meeting in Brussels this week.

In addition to avoiding “unnecessary export restrictions,” they have agreed to create a Joint EU-U.S. COVID Manufacturing and Supply-Chain Taskforce to expand vaccine and therapeutics production capacity by “building new production facilities for vaccines and therapeutics, maintaining open and secure supply chains, and encouraging voluntary sharing of know-how and technology.”

The EU recently submitted its own proposal to the World Trade Organization, calling for reduced export restrictions for COVID-19 medicines, global manufacturing expansions and pledges to keep COVID-19 vaccines affordable for poorer nations.