KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum will likely play a key role in facilitating the supply of new pandemic response innovations such as rapid testing kits at the airports and other border points of its member economies in the weeks and months ahead.

In this regard, New Zealand Medical Technology Association chief executive officer Faye Sumner said Apec could also take a leading role in assisting the economies to strengthen cooperation.

"This could include agreement on new regional procedures that are enacted during such emergencies, to ensure smooth trade flows of essential medical supplies,” she said in the Apec Bulletin released today.

Sumner is a member of Apec’s Code of Business Ethics for Medical Devices Expert Working Group.

She said cooperation and coordination between economies were critical to address disruptions to the movement of medical supplies such as gloves, masks and other essential goods across borders as the Covid-19 health crisis continues.

"Some suppliers closed their factories because of lockdowns and social distancing measures enforced around the world, while some economies imposed export restrictions to halt international sales of these goods as they focus on ensuring sufficient supplies at home to combat the virus.

"Some manufacturers that are exporting have requested upfront or prepayments from importers before agreeing to send supplies. This causes cash flow problems for importing companies. Some have been prepared to pay a premium, a huge markup, to secure supplies. It’s become a very disrupted and challenging supply chain,” she added.

To this end, Apec senior officials at their virtual meeting today, acknowledged the recommendations by Apec business leaders for member economies to remove export restrictions and ensure adequate access to essential medical goods.

The Apec Policy Support Unit, a research and analysis arm of the forum in a research brief, affirmed that active trade policy responses, including closer cooperation and removing or reducing tariffs on medical supplies and personal protective products, would save lives and strengthen members’ capacity to fight the pandemic. — Bernama