Handelen med medisinske varer og Covid-19

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemy has exposed vulnerability for pharmaceuticals and medical goods. Does globalisation create more or less vulnerability? - The majority of countries import all their drugs and only eight countries are net exporters. - Exports are dominated by Western Europa, with China and India some way down the list. - Globalisation has spread the risk for medical goods by an increased number of suppliers and less export concentration. A main driver is increased export from small European countries. - At a more detailed level of goods, the picture is more mixed, with growing concentration in some cases. - Export restrictions contribute to market collapse and higher prices, that particularly hit poor countries that import all their needs. - For Norway, European integration is important for medical contingency planning.