WTO issues joint indicative list of critical inputs for COVID-19 vaccines

The WTO Secretariat has published an indicative list compiling information on the critical inputs for the manufacturing, distributing and administering of COVID-19 vaccines. The list was jointly produced with the Asian Development Bank, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Customs Organization, some COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, researchers Chad Bown and Chris Rogers, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and DHL.

The document was first compiled by the WTO Secretariat as a working document to facilitate discussions at the WTO COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain and Regulatory Transparency Symposium that took place on 29 June 2021 and may serve as a useful starting point for other purposes.

At that event, representatives of the medical and pharmaceutical industry, international organizations and the WTO Secretariat explored new ways to cooperate towards finding practical solutions to scale up the global COVID-19 response and address gaps in the global production and distribution of vaccines, personal protective equipment and other medical technologies. As part of this exercise, several organizations contributed with inputs to improve the indicative list of critical inputs for COVID-19 vaccines.

The list is purely indicative and subject to further clarification, modification and improvement based on inputs by pharma and customs experts. It is based on the Harmonized System (HS) 2017 version and is without prejudice to the actual tariff classification assigned by WTO members' customs administrations at the time of importation.

The list has no legal status and is without prejudice to the rights and obligations of WTO members.