Editorial: With medical supplies running low, more countries limiting exports

May 4 , 2020

With the coronavirus pandemic raging unabated, many countries are facing a serious shortage of medical supplies, including masks, gowns and gloves, for personnel on the frontlines of the battle. Worse still, an increasing number of countries, due to domestic demand, are restricting exports of such supplies or barring them entirely, reports the World Trade Organization.

The situation is particularly painful for Japan, which relies heavily on medical supply imports. In response, the Japanese government is pushing for local companies to step up production, but supply so far is falling way short of demand. That has led many in the medical community to fashion their own masks or face shields as a stopgap measure.

While the export ban threatens to unleash a cascade of negative consequences globally, the WTO has found that 39 of the 80 member-countries and -territories have instituted export controls to date. That makes international coordination in fighting the pandemic more pressing than ever.