Chinese Liability for Pandemic Damages?
In the matter of State of Missouri v. The People's Republic of China, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit published an interesting analysis of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act on January 10, 2024, which begins with this introduction:
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a tragic loss of life and had financial effects worldwide. Missouri seeks to recover from various Chinese defendants, including the government itself, for the impact the disease had on its own economy and the health and economic security of its citizens. It turns out that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act stands in the way of most of its claims. Just one survives: the allegation that China hoarded personal-protective equipment while the rest of the world was in the dark about the disease. We reverse the dismissal of Missouri's hoarding claim, but otherwise affirm.
Wed, / Embassy Law Link