<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><i class="">Some hints as to the partisan’s attacks on the TRIPS waiver announcement, as well as Big Pharma’s strategy: "how we negotiate with the WTO moving forward will be critical in mitigating this myopic decision” ...</i></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class="">Politico Morning Trade</b></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(183, 0, 0);" class="">— </span></b><strong class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(183, 0, 0);" class="">Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced Wednesday the United States supports waiving valuable patent and other intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""> to</span><strong class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class=""> </span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">help expand worldwide production of the lifesaving shots.</span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">...</span></div><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 18pt;" class=""><strong class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class=""><a href="https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=927cb5124ddab8255b2106a4e9fca9ab504173617e9b877313fc9fc61f3570f756493ee35b47bb45c4122edb0b5b3d20" target="_blank" style="color: blue;" class="">U.S. SUPPORTS WAIVING COVID-19 VACCINE PATENTS:</a> </span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">The major policy shift breaks with decades of U.S. support for tough intellectual property rights protections and was the Biden administration’s biggest trade decision yet. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 18pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">“This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures,” Tai said in a statement, setting the stage for tough negotiations at the WTO over the scope of the waiver. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 18pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">The decision is a victory for progressive Democrats who have pushed President Joe Biden to endorse India and South Africa's call for a broad waiver of all intellectual property protections for Covid-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 18pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">“This is the right thing to do, and a moment to make every American proud,” a group of House Democrats including <a href="https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=927cb5124ddab8254dc17810d87685f22f4d2c7d11cf253ee739a95f390351476a111f8d1d7601ac32b26c7226ed3b07" target="_blank" style="color: blue;" class="">Jan Schakowsky</a> (D-Ill.), <a href="https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=927cb5124ddab825ec9a0a5e12086cf633c41a47563fea53aefadd524ff3baaf7310e3be901bbd6eb03e55c31f41aaf8" target="_blank" style="color: blue;" class="">Rosa DeLauro</a> (D-Conn.), <a href="https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=927cb5124ddab8250f1e5448d2a987d3cd7b5119699082dc0626aea2873d9022e7f7b6d3b3392744cb4f441bbd51b80a" target="_blank" style="color: blue;" class="">Lloyd Doggett</a> (D-Texas) and <a href="https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=927cb5124ddab825b1538874303540d85a1a277c5906868be7330f9085ff04c93ff4521b6fa04e7f59c78b8eb54ce6e3" target="_blank" style="color: blue;" class="">Earl Blumenauer</a> (D-Ore.) said in a statement.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 18pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Another high-profile advocate, Sen. <a href="https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=927cb5124ddab825dae5f7d01e5f65df2c5a36e1847444ee181ae82bb99fae36df9a5ebd8d71055ec971e7f0cc8ec919" target="_blank" style="color: blue;" class="">Bernie Sanders</a> (I-Vt.), also applauded the administration for taking “a bold step” to control the pandemic. “This is exactly the kind of leadership the world needs right now,” he said.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 18pt;" class=""><strong class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">Industry criticism: </span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">Both the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization blasted the decision.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 18pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">The two groups have warned granting the waiver could drastically hinder existing efforts to scale up global manufacturing, disrupt efforts to equitably distribute the vaccines to every corner of the globe through an international vaccine alliance and further strain the global supply chain.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 18pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">"The United States has unfortunately chosen to set a dangerous precedent with these actions. But how we negotiate with the WTO moving forward will be critical in mitigating this myopic decision and its effects on patients around the world,” BIO President and CEO Michelle McMurry-Heath said.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 18pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">She also urged USTR to insist on terms that, among other things, would prevent the expropriation of technology that has use beyond Covid vaccines and protect American companies from the coerced transfer of technology by foreign governments. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 18pt;" class=""><strong class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;" class="">The China card:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""> Leading Republicans warned that China would be a primary beneficiary of the move at a time when both the administration and Congress are looking for ways to boost U.S. competitiveness and reduce dependence on the Asian giant.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.25in; margin-left: 0in; line-height: 18pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class="">"Not only is the biopharmaceutical industry one of China’s targets for dominance in its Made in China 2025 strategy, but the Department of Justice handed out indictments last summer in connection with the Chinese government’s attempts to steal U.S. Covid research," Senate Finance ranking member <a href="https://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=927cb5124ddab825e3a31de8e9537bc84af8be876401d9ac2753f661af9d0fe0bcce0f827292a2777458c811018ff913" target="_blank" style="color: blue;" class="">Mike Crapo</a> (R-Idaho) said.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Georgia, serif;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class="">
Arthur Stamoulis<br class="">Citizens Trade Campaign<br class="">(202) 494-8826<br class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class="">
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