NZ tackles 'vaccine apartheid' with ambitious APEC free-trade plan

New Zealand is pushing Asia-Pacific trade group APEC to remove all tariffs on Covid-19 vaccines and related medical products, a person familiar with discussions said, but is facing opposition from some members who believe the plan is too ambitious.

The proposal comes amid growing concerns that while inoculation campaigns are helping wealthy countries recover, few shots have reached smaller, poorer nations where the virus still rages.

New Zealand, which is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum virtually this year, will push for members including the United States, China and Russia to sign off on two documents related to Covid-19 in addition to the official joint statement issued after the trade ministers meeting on Saturday.

All 21 economies are set to agree to apply "best practices" guidelines on movement of vaccines and related medical products across borders, the person familiar with the discussions told Reuters, declining to be identified because the talks were private. This could reduce delays in moving vaccines internationally by days.

The members are also likely to...