Preface

COVID-19 (coronavirus), the most severe pandemic in a century, tested the ability of the global system of open trade to deliver medical goods and services swiftly to the people who needed them most, anywhere in the world. In some respects, the trade system met the test; in others, it fell short. This report draws lessons from the pandemic experience and suggests concrete ways that trade can be leveraged to strengthen global health security and better prepare collectively for a future crisis.