Why won’t USTR strengthen medical supply chains with America’s allies?

In a  recent comment letter to US President Biden’s trade ambassador, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) encourages the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) to strengthen medical supply chains by negotiating meaningful trade agreements with trusted trading partners, including the European Union, Japan and the UK.

Unfortunately, says the trade group, the USTR consistently has rejected opportunities to do so — even as the Administration more broadly has expressed a desire to strengthen medical supply chains with US allies.

Meanwhile, strong bipartisan support in Congress exists for the proposed  Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act, which would authorize the President “to enter into trade agreements … with respect to medical goods to contribute to the national security and public health of the USA.” Support for the legislation was evident in recent congressional hearings, during which both Democrats and Republicans pressed USTR Katherine Tai on how her agency plans to strengthen medical supply chains with US allies and other “trusted trade partners.”