Vidéoconférence des ministres des affaires étrangères (commerce), 9 juin 2020

Principaux points de l'ordre du jour

Lors de cette vidéoconférence, les ministres du commerce passeront en revue les questions liées à l'OMC et se pencheront sur les conséquences de la pandémie de COVID-19 pour la politique commerciale.

• Politique commerciale de l'UE

Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for trade policy

Trade ministers addressed the negative impact the pandemic has had on global trade, and the role of global supply chains in the recovery.

COVID-19 has led to a sharp increase in protectionist measures and disruption to vital supply chains. But protectionism is by no means a solution. Cooperation, multilateralism and free and fair trade only can help us out of the crisis. Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister for foreign and European affairs of Croatia

COVID-19 has revealed some weaknesses in global trade and is likely to accelerate certain trends that were already present before the crisis. In this context, the Commission is expected to make a review of the EU's trade policy by the end of the year in order to ensure trade policy contributes to the post-COVID-19 recovery.

Ministers stressed the need to diversify and solidify the EU's supply chains and called for the deepening of the EU's network of trade agreements with key global partners. Many delegations also stressed the essential role sustainable development should play in the EU's future trade policy.

• COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak and the EU's response