Communications Daily is a Warren News publication.

COVID-19 Export Controls Should Not Be Used to 'Discriminate,' WTO Says

The World Trade Organization recently updated a guidance detailing how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting world trade, saying every WTO member is “free” to impose export controls on key medical supplies. However, the WTO stressed that international trade is “crucial…

Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article

Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!

to ensuring access to medicines and other medical products,” and said members should not impose controls that “discriminate” or “constitute a disguised restriction.” The guidance also contains an updated list of member notifications to the WTO that detail export control actions and other trade measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus and the disease it causes. Several countries have said they are committed to keeping trade lanes open and stressed the importance of refraining from imposing export controls during the pandemic (see 2003260029).