As described in the most recent update to the IDB’s Trade Trend Estimates for Latin America and the Caribbean, the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly affecting trade as 2020 progresses. The region is headed for a record trade shock. Latin American exports contracted by 3.2% in the first quarter of 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019, … [Read more...] about COVID-19 takes a toll on Latin American exports
Regional Integration
Deeper integration of Latin America, essential against COVID-19
Just as the COVID-19 pandemic has no borders, neither must the solutions to address its health and economic consequences. Deepening regional integration in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is an essential part of creating collective policies to respond to the direct and indirect impacts of the emergency. Regional integration is not an end but rather a strategic … [Read more...] about Deeper integration of Latin America, essential against COVID-19
How exposed is Latin America to the trade effects of COVID-19?
The COVID-19 pandemic is the most challenging global crisis since the postwar, for its public health dimension as well as its economic consequences. International trade is one of the channels of contagion of the economic crisis that will strongly affect Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This begs several questions. Why is this crisis different? What are the channels of … [Read more...] about How exposed is Latin America to the trade effects of COVID-19?
The impact of coronavirus trade and integration: what to do?
The coronavirus pandemic has the potential to wreak havoc on Latin America and the Caribbean’s (LAC) trade and the integration, making it vital for governments to take appropriate measures to reduce its impact on the economy and life of its citizens. Over the last 100 years, there have been seven global pandemics (Spanish flu, Asian flu, Hong Kong flu, H1N1, SARS, MERS, and … [Read more...] about The impact of coronavirus trade and integration: what to do?
7 key new features of the new North American Trade Agreement
The new North American free trade agreement, now titled the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), is expected to enter into force in the coming months. Together, the three countries constitute the largest economic integration and trading bloc in the Western Hemisphere. The new agreement contains numerous provisions covering goods, technologies, and other advances in … [Read more...] about 7 key new features of the new North American Trade Agreement