ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL3.SEP/2020/TP.25
Country: Arab region
Publication Type: Information material
Cluster: Shared Economic Prosperity
Focus Area: Trade & regional connectivity
Initiatives: Transport and trade connectivity
SDGs: Agenda 2030
Keywords: Covid-19, Logistics, Trade facilitation, Foreign trade, Foreign direct investment
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): trade and trade facilitation responses in the Arab region
May 2021
The present report has been prepared to review and provide insights into trade and trade facilitation measures implemented by Arab countries to mitigate emerging economic and social challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, while ensuring access by their populations to essential supplies.
It is hoped that its findings will enrich ongoing trade negotiations among Arab countries as well as with their major trade partners through the formulation of specific provisions to facilitate trade during crisis and pandemics.
Section 1 reviews the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Arab region while section 2 reviews the trade and trade facilitation responses implemented by Arab countries. Section 3 looks at how non-Arab countries have sought to mitigate the impact of the pandemic through regional trade and trade facilitation responses. Section 4 sets forth a number of trade-related policies that could be implemented to build resilience against future crises and outlines their associated risks. Mitigation and response policies could even enrich ongoing trade negotiations involving Arab countries, and give weight to suggestions that certain provisions should be integrated into trade agreements to strengthen Arab regional value chains and Arab countries’ participation in global value chains.
Related content
Trade & regional connectivity
,
The present report has been prepared to review and provide insights into trade and trade facilitation measures implemented by Arab countries to mitigate emerging economic and social challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, while ensuring access by their populations to essential supplies.
It is hoped that its findings will enrich ongoing trade negotiations among Arab countries as well as with their major trade partners through the formulation of specific provisions to facilitate trade during crisis and pandemics.
Section 1 reviews the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Arab region while section 2 reviews the trade and trade facilitation responses implemented by Arab countries. Section 3 looks at how non-Arab countries have sought to mitigate the impact of the pandemic through regional trade and trade facilitation responses. Section 4 sets forth a number of trade-related policies that could be implemented to build resilience against future crises and outlines their associated risks. Mitigation and response policies could even enrich ongoing trade negotiations involving Arab countries, and give weight to suggestions that certain provisions should be integrated into trade agreements to strengthen Arab regional value chains and Arab countries’ participation in global value chains.
