Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister for Commerce & Industry, Railways, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public distribution had a virtual meeting with Ambassador Katherine Tai, US Trade Representative on 14^th May 2021. The meeting focused on increasing vaccine availability in an inclusive and equitable manner to combat the Global pandemic caused by Covid-19. The proposal of India on waiver of certain TRIPS provisions to increase global vaccine production in order to take on the challenge of vaccinating the poorest of the poor and save lives was also discussed. The Minister thanked the USTR for the US announcing its support for India’s proposal. The Minister mentioned the supply chains for the vaccine manufacturers must be kept open and unbridled as the entire world is in dire need of vaccines. Both sides agreed to work towards the common resolve of increasing vaccine availability and saving lives.

TRIPS waiver support to expand vaccine production while keeping supply chains open for equitable vaccine access. The meeting addressed support for India's proposal to waive certain TRIPS provisions to expand global vaccine manufacturing and stressed that maintaining open, unimpeded supply chains is essential to scale production and improve equitable vaccine availability during the public-health emergency.