WTO inks vaccines patent waiver deal after lengthy session

World Trade Organization (WTO) members unveiled a new package of trade accords late Thursday following a marathon negotiating session in Geneva, Switzerland, headlined by deals to create flexible intellectual property rules covering COVID-19 vaccines, as well as other trade issues such as global fishing subsidies.

Under an arrangement known as compulsory licensing, member countries agreed to a vaccine patent waiver as a way to boost supplies of COVID-19 shots to lower income countries.

The debate overcame a protracted fight between the USA and China over the Biden administration’s demand that China be clearly excluded from the deal – for fear that it would enable China to steal US technologies.