Piyush Goyal (File Pic)NEW DELHI: The G-20 trade ministers on Thursday endorsed short term steps such as emergency trade measures designed to tackle COVID-19 including export restrictions on vital medical supplies and equipment and other essential goods and services so that do not create unnecessary barriers to trade or disruption to global supply chains, and are consistent with the global trade rules.
In a statement issued after the virtual meeting of Trade and Investment Ministers of the G20, the grouping said it would “encourage our governments to establish voluntary guidelines that would allow, in the event of a global health crisis, essential cross-border travel, including essential business travel, on an exceptional basis, in accordance with national laws and regulations, and without undermining efforts to safeguard public health”.
During the virtual meeting, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal asked the G20 members to first focus on immediate and concrete actions that can ease the distress being faced by people all over the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He strongly called for agreement to enable the use of TRIPs flexibilities to ensure access to essential medicines, treatments and vaccines at affordable prices and also asked them to agree to provide diagnostic and protective equipment, and healthcare professionals across borders where they are most needed.
As a result of the pandemic, a large number of professionals, workers and students located overseas are facing difficulty in maintaining their visa status, Goyal suggested that countries must allow suitable accommodation in their visa status and take other necessary steps to address their distress.
Goyal said that doing away with the policy instrument of export restrictions is not a panacea that will guarantee access to medical products and food for all. In fact, such a step is likely to lead to a flight of these critical products to the highest bidder, making them inaccessible to the resource-poor.
“More effective and lasting way to ensure food security of the most vulnerable, would be by agreeing to eliminate the historic asymmetries in the Agreement on Agriculture, and delivering on the long-standing ministerial mandate to establish permanent, adequate and accessible disciplines on Public Stockholding for food security purposes by the 12th Ministerial Conference of the WTO,” Goyal was quoted in an official release.
Underscoring the wide digital divide between developed and developing countries, the Minister stressed on the urgent need to build the digital skills and capacities of developing countries and LDCs, rather than rushing to make binding rules on digital trade and e-commerce, which will freeze the extremely non-level playing field against their interests, and deprive them of the opportunity to benefit from the immense potential in these areas.
Short-term collective actions
The G-20 trade ministers also said they would refrain from introducing export restrictions on agricultural products, including on products purchased for non-commercial humanitarian purposes, and avoid unnecessary food-stockpiling, without prejudice to domestic food security, consistent with national requirements
“Consider exempting humanitarian aid related to COVID-19 from any export restrictions on exports of essential medical supplies, medical equipment and personal protective equipment, consistent with national requirements,” the grouping said in the statement.
They also endorsed the idea to speed up and streamline customs procedures, in line with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, encourage the use of electronic documentation and processes, reduce barriers, encourage governments to facilitate the resumption of essential cross- border travel, and expand production and trade in essential goods and services, including digital trade/e-commerce.
Source: indiatimes.com