U.S. Still Pushing WTO on Proposal to Temporarily Waive COVID-19 Product Patents

In a pair of tweets, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the U.S. would persist in pressing for members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to move ahead with an intellectual property (IP) framework for COVID-19 vaccines. This, after an important in-person WTO ministerial meeting this week was postponed due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

"The United States will continue working with @WTO members to achieve a multifaceted outcome on trade and health, including an international IP framework, that supports the global pandemic response and puts the WTO in a stronger position to meet the needs of regular people," Tai said in one of her tweets.

The WTO’s 12th ministerial meeting — scheduled for Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 — was canceled because new travel restrictions would have prevented many ministers from reaching the meeting in Geneva. It has not been rescheduled.