The United States, Switzerland, and Singapore this week called for an end to import tariffs that affect trade in drugs and medical devices worth more than $56bn (£32bn; €47bn) a year. Products covered by the tariffs include pharmaceutical goods, from antibiotics to vitamins, and medical devices, from surgical equipment and instruments to x ray equipment, hearing aids, and orthopaedic appliances.

In a joint proposal, the countries said that scrapping the tariff would result in “effective action to improve access to medicines and medical devices needed to treat a wide variety of diseases effectively and ensure that these goods …