second THEMATIC SESSION ON SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE:
mEMBERS RESPONSE TO CHALLENGES AND RESILIENCE
BUILDING OF THEIR SUPPLY CHAINS

Summary report[1]

Addendum

1  Introduction

1.1.  The Committee on Market Access (CMA) held its second thematic session on supply chain resilience on 6 May 2024[2], which was moderated by Mr. Iain Fifer (United Kingdom).[3] Presentations were delivered by experts from China, the European Union, India, Pakistan, Trinidad and Tobago on behalf of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the United Kingdom, and the United States. The presentations are reproduced in the annex.[4] The session focused on the challenges faced by Members and how Members approached supply chain resilience, in particular looking at the following guiding questions:

a. What are Members' domestic policies for supply chain resilience, and how are these coordinated across Members' governments?

b. What monitoring do Members conduct and how have they responded to a previous supply chain disruption?

c. What are Members' approaches to mitigating future risks and increasing resilience?

d. How do Members work with non-governmental partners, like academia, domestic businesses and international organizations to build resilience?

1.2.  This report seeks to provide an analytical summary of the presentations made at the thematic session, and has been divided into five sections that seek to describe the main issues raised with respect to: i) supply chain challenges faced, ii) the domestic policies for supply chain resilience which have been introduced by Members, iii) efforts to improve monitoring, iv) approaches to mitigate risks, and v) work with non-governmental partners.