U.S. withdraws push to exempt essential medicines from GPA coverage

The Biden administration has ceased its push to exclude essential medicines and other critical medical inputs from its government procurement coverage at the World Trade Organization, avoiding a first test of the Government Procurement Agreement’s arbitration procedures and the potential for retaliation from other members. The effort was initiated by the previous administration last year, but subsequent submissions had come since the Biden administration took office, including after several WTO members objected to the proposed changes. In two communications made...