The World Trade Organization (WTO) has outlined how countries have expedited access to critical medical goods and services through trade measures, as part of their broader responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Early data for 41 countries show that trade in medical goods grew by 38.7% in the first half of 2020. The WTO has also updated its services trade barometer with data through the second quarter of 2020, which shows gains in some sectors.

The WTO information note identifies a variety of positive actions and findings, flagging that shortages of personal protective equipment have eased since the early stages of the pandemic. Commitments and statements by trade ministers and G20 leaders from early in the pandemic, the WTO highlights, have helped keep markets open and medical goods trade flowing.

Transparency, the information note underscores, is “a key building block of the commitment to keeping markets open.” A WTO news release notes that many of these actions are a matter of public record, as a result of countries’ formal notifications to the WTO, the organization’s trade monitoring report or its COVID-19 monitoring exercise. Of the measures reported to the WTO, those that reduce or eliminate import tariffs comprise about two-thirds of the trade facilitation actions taken by countries.

To ensure goods’ smooth movement across borders, the WTO points to actions taken by countries to update customs procedures such that red tape is cut, documentation requirements are eased, and electronic processing helps streamline the import and export of medical supplies. Likewise, the information note acknowledges the temporary removal or deferral of duties, taxes, and other charges by 40 WTO members on COVID-19-critical medical goods and other essential items. The note applauds countries that have not only deferred taxes or tariffs on medical supplies, but also related goods or services that ensure their delivery (e.g. transport equipment).

On measures taken to improve access to COVID-19-related medical services, the note highlights countries’ facilitating the international movement of health workers (e.g. through work permit and visa extensions) and actions to increase the utilization of telemedicine by overcoming regulatory hurdles. Each of these services, the document emphasizes, serve to alleviate pressure on national health systems and enable medical care on short notice, and allow for the transmission of health-related information to remote locations.

In spite of certain gains, the WTO’s services trade barometer’s overall score “of 95.6 is the weakest on record for the index,” where a score of 100 represents the baseline for medium-term trends.

The services trade barometer generates a composite score based on six component indices. The score is heavily affected by the collapse of passenger air transport – one of the six indices measured – in 2020 due to COVID-19. The remaining five indices appear to be stabilizing. The WTO releases two trade barometers, on goods trade and on services trade. [Publication: How WTO Members Have Used Trade Measures to Expedite Access to Critical Medical Goods and Services] [WTO News Release] [WTO Services Trade Barometer Update]