ABSTRACT
This chapter opens the discussion by pointing out the medical trade dilemma that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, where “trade openness” was required to fight a global health crisis, but at the same time the existing trade system systematically encouraged “trade protectionism” across countries in responding to the crisis. This highlights a grave problem embedded in the approach of the current international trade law framework to public-health-related trade issues, calling for fundamental reforms to the rulebook. The chapter also argues against possible skepticism toward reforming the WTO, emphasizing its continuing importance as the main operator of international trade. Lastly, two key aspects of trade and public health dynamics are pointed out to outline the main suggestions of the book, each of which will be discussed in detail in the following chapters.
