[Marxistindia] US Should Lift Export Ban

[news from the cpi(m)]

April 17, 2021
Press Statement
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued  
the following statement:
US Should Lift Export Ban
The scaling up of vaccine production in India is being hampered by the  
shortage of the intermediate material required for vaccine production.  
Much of this  material such as  filters, solutions and  plastic bags  
come from the United States. But the U.S. Administration has banned  
the export of vaccine material under its Defence Production Act.  
Despite requests by the Indian authorities, no relaxation or exemption  
has been given for export of these items. The biggest vaccine  
manufacturer in the country, the Serum Institute of India, has been  
drawing attention to this problem for quite some time.
The stand of the Biden Administration reeks of double-speak. Just last  
month, at the Quad Summit held on March 12, the joint statement issued  
stated: “we will join forces to expand safe, affordable, and effective  
vaccine production and equitable access, to speed economic recovery  
and benefit global health”. Further, the United States promised to  
finance production of vaccines by an Indian company, Biological E Ltd   
to help India become a hub of vaccine production for the Indo-Pacific  
region.
The ban on exports of materials used in vaccine production goes  
completely against these stated aims. The Modi government, which sets  
much store on the Quad alliance, must ensure that the Biden  
Administration keeps to its committed word and immediately ensure  
supply of essential vaccine material to India. This is the least that  
must be done when India is facing vaccine shortage in the face of an  
unprecedented surge of Covid infections.


For CPI(M) Central Committee Office