The director of the WTO demanded that the trade barriers set up due to the pandemic be removed
The director of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said today that the trade barriers set due to covid-19 are increasing and asked the countries to remove them.
- It is necessary to remove these restrictive measures so that medical supplies, goods and vaccines can move faster, said Okonjo-Iweala.
- The trend is going in the wrong direction, said Okonjo-Iweala at the United Nations Virtual Forum, pointing to barriers to trade in pandemic-related goods. According to her, at the beginning of the pandemic last year there were 109 bans, then they fell to 51, but again increased to 53.
One such measure is the European Union's covid-19 vaccine export scheme, which is due to expire on June 30. Okonjo-Iweala has previously said it was "disappointed" with the scheme, although the commission said it was targeted, proportionate and temporary.