The shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 battle has dominated the headlines. In a virtual news conference last week, chief of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated: "The chronic global shortage of personal protective equipment is now one of the most urgent threats to our collective ability to save lives." He also urged members of the G20 countries to use their "industrial might and innovation" to produce and distribute the tools that are essential to saving more lives.
Supply chains have and will continue to play a pivotal role in the current and future distribution of PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some countries have begun to impose temporary export restrictions on the movement - but when time is of the essence, why would governments make such a move?
In our latest episode of Talking Trade, VP of Government and Industry Affairs, Michael Ford discussed some of the recent actions taken by governments around the world. We review explanations on newly imposed restrictions to so-called "fast lanes" in place that revise import procedures for PPE materials, and reductions on punitive tariffs for products that fall under the "essential" category,
Tune in below for the full discussion.