US export restrictions aren't cause of India's COVID crisis & not clear if lifting them will solve immed prob (cuz affects Novavax prod). But they will hv an adverse effect down the line on global vaccination efforts & they're already being blamed – in some cases, instrumentally. 
2/ For those who've asked re impact of US export restrictions on vaccine production, couple of articles that might be helpful
- bbc.com/news/world-asi…
- indianexpress.com/article/explai…
- bbc.com/news/world-asi…
- indianexpress.com/article/explai…
3/ This US export restrictions issue & India has come up in pressers. On March 12, separately NSA Jake Sullivan & FonSec Shringla were asked about it. It also came up in the WH press briefing yesterday.
Not many details other than GoI noting it'd been taken up bilaterally.
Not many details other than GoI noting it'd been taken up bilaterally.
4/ Yesterday, SecState Blinken & Indian EAM Jaishankar spoke on the phone. Neither side explicitly mentioned that this issue came up, but they did note that the two sides talked about health coop/COVID
5/ Since ppl hv a comprehension problem, let me spell this out
I don't think US export restrictions are a good thing; might hv been understandable (esp pol) earlier but increasingly less so. Multiple adverse effects:
a. global vaccine prod
b. opinion of US
c. helps PRC propaganda
I don't think US export restrictions are a good thing; might hv been understandable (esp pol) earlier but increasingly less so. Multiple adverse effects:
a. global vaccine prod
b. opinion of US
c. helps PRC propaganda
6/ On a separate but related issue, 10 US senators hv asked Biden admin to "support the temporary waiver of some Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) rules proposed by India &
South Africa at the WTO during the COVID-19 emergency"
sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/upl…
South Africa at the WTO during the COVID-19 emergency"
sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/upl…
7/ Re point "b" in tweet 5 above on impact of views of the US...
https://twitter.com/mihirssharma/status/1384550452348395524?s=20
8/ Additional details on how US - and other countries' - export restrictions could disrupt vaccine production in India & elsewhere (SII says in 4-6 weeks) economist.com/science-and-te…
9/ One thing that would help is to get some clarity from the governments on where this issue stands. At the moment, most of the comments have come from SII.
10/ For instance, this says "Covovax, is the vaccine undergoing bridging studies in India. The ban on export only threatens to derail the stockpiling of Covovax and not any other vaccine, sources say."
[while other reports say AZ will also be affected]
indiatoday.in/coronavirus-ou…
[while other reports say AZ will also be affected]
indiatoday.in/coronavirus-ou…
11/ & then there's this: "'US side has clarified that there are no export restrictions on such items & that domestic regulations hv only prioritised use of these materials for production of vaccines in the US,' sources familiar with the conversations" said
tribuneindia.com/news/nation/we…
tribuneindia.com/news/nation/we…
12/ a reminder from @prash9 that this issue of the vaccine supply chain also came up in the Indian foreign minister's remarks [& the connected trade-offs that India, US are having to make btwn domestic/foreign imperatives]
https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1384114498122903553?s=20
13/ "'[The US] understand[s] the challenge India is facing,' an Indian official told ET. 'They are not deliberately holding back anything and the dialogue process is going on.'"
https://twitter.com/seemasirohi/status/1384696745381306368
14/ GoI sources noted yesterday, and Serum Institute head now clarifies that AZ/Covishield production is not affected by US export restrictions (contra earlier indications from his company).
https://twitter.com/RohanV/status/1384820835387510787
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