Over the past few months, Customs authorities in Latin America and the Caribbean have had to work hard and think outside the box in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tons of personal protective equipment, including masks, gowns, medical devices, medicines, and disinfectant products, as well as food and other necessities, have passed through these agencies. Those shipments … [Read more...] about The resilience and transformation of Customs authorities during COVID-19
Trade Facilitation
How can trade policy help avoid a food security crisis during COVID-19?
The COVID-19 pandemic is bringing back the ghost of a food security crisis, similar to the one that swept the world more than a decade ago. One concern is that protectionism magnifies the negative economic effects of the confinement measures implemented to rein in the coronavirus. Although these concerns seem overstated, the agriculture sector in Latin America and the Caribbean … [Read more...] about How can trade policy help avoid a food security crisis during COVID-19?
Recommendations from the Americas Business Dialogue on tackling COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps through the region, hemisphere business leaders grouped in the Americas Business Dialogue (ABD) are working in coordination to bring private sector resources and capabilities to governments to tackle the health and economic emergency. Among the responses put forth by ABD – an initiative led by the private sector and facilitated by the … [Read more...] about Recommendations from the Americas Business Dialogue on tackling COVID-19
Trade policy, key to get out of quarantine and face COVID-19
Today, more than ever, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) need to act together in their trade policy decisions to stock up the goods and supplies they need to address the health crisis caused by COVID-19 and exit the generalized quarantine. Epidemiological models in Europe and the United States, as well as recent experiences of countries that have moved to a … [Read more...] about Trade policy, key to get out of quarantine and face COVID-19
How Customs can protect us from the coronavirus
The coronavirus crisis has shone a spotlight on how challenging it is for countries to protect the health of the population. To contain the pandemic, governments have taken unprecedented measures such as closing borders or shutting off large areas of their territories. These measures can cause major disruptions to global supply chains and transportation systems. According to … [Read more...] about How Customs can protect us from the coronavirus