The role of Trade policy in enabling access to COVID-19 vaccines

Abstract

The aim of this paper is focusing on the role of the trade policy measures in managing the faster and more successful allocation of specific products such as vaccines in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis particularly points at the specifics of the pandemic, and their impact on the choice of trade policy measures. The priority was given to the decrease of non-tariff measures in relation to tariffs by creators of the trade policy. After the invention of the COVID-19 vaccines, the possibility to distribute them to all parts of the world without barriers and obstructions was significantly hindered in a several ways. The role of international trade in that process could have been jeopardized by many barriers in trade. The first notable barriers were tariffs as the best-known trade policy measures. Very soon they were followed by Non-tariff Measures which have become more recognizable and frequent. One part of these barriers is related to numerous logistical obstacles as well as to the elimination of administrative non-tariff barriers caused by inefficient work of customs authorities and related inspectorates.