ABSTRACT
Chapters 4 and 5 look into this book's second suggestion for improvement in the trade system specifically on the “medical trade” sector. Medical products are different from ordinary consumer goods. They typically have greater public health implications compared to other industry sectors. Trade is not an impediment, but rather a necessity for promoting public health when it comes to medical trade. Chapter 4 points out, however, that the existing legal texts of the GATT and its Annexes on the goods trade, as well as the texts of the GATS on the services trade, have little consideration for this unique type of trade in handling the public health concept. They assume in general that (any) trade may be restricted in the pursuit of domestic public health protection.
