WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President for International Policy John Murphy issued the following statement welcoming the introduction of the Medical Supply Chain Resilience Act by Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC):
“The Chamber strongly supports the Medical Supply Chain Resilience Act, which will strengthen supply chains for medical goods and services while bolstering manufacturing in the U.S. and among our close allies and partners. Enhancing the resilience of medical supply chains is important to both our public health and our national security.
“The bill would direct the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate trade agreements with trusted allies to eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers that weaken the U.S. medical goods manufacturing base and that of our allies. These agreements would also support intellectual property protection, regulatory cooperation, and collaboration on public and private R&D efforts. Only close allies and partners would qualify for such agreements. Close consultation with the legislative branch would be essential, and Congress would retain a right to disapprove any agreements.
“This is practical legislation that, if enacted, will apply lessons learned in the Covid-19 pandemic to strengthen America’s health preparedness. The Chamber urges Congress to pass it into law.”
