G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting: Facilitating Cross-Border Flows of Goods and Services

(Combating New Crown Pneumonia) G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting: Promoting Cross-border Flow of Goods and Services

China News Agency, Beijing, March 31 (Reporter Li Xiaoyu) Trade ministers of the Group of Twenty (G20) said that an open economic and trade policy should be adopted to reduce the impact of the epidemic on the global supply chain.

On the night of March 30th, Beijing time, a special video conference on G20 trade ministers' response to the new crown pneumonia was held. The meeting discussed the global impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic and the G20 response. All parties believe that the leaders should jointly implement the joint statement of the New Crown Pneumonia Summit, strengthen coordination and cooperation, adopt an open economic and trade policy, reduce the impact of the epidemic on the global supply chain, promote the cross-border flow of goods and services, and restore confidence in international economic and trade development.

China's Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan put forward three suggestions to all parties: First, strengthen international cooperation on epidemic prevention materials to jointly protect the lives of people and medical personnel of various countries; second, maintain the stability of the global industrial chain supply chain, and actively take tariff reductions and remove barriers And smooth trade. The third is to maintain a global open and cooperative environment, keep markets open, safeguard the multilateral trading system, and oppose protectionism.

The meeting was chaired by the chairman of Saudi Arabia. After the meeting, the "G20 Trade Ministers Special Meeting Statement on New Crown Pneumonia" was issued.

According to incomplete statistics, affected by the epidemic situation, currently more than 110 countries and regions around the world have imposed restrictions on flights, trains and ships, and more than 60 countries (regions) have closed some or all ports, or strengthened port quarantine; nearly 30 countries Restrictions on the import of goods. The industry believes that the scale of global trade will therefore shrink severely. (Finish)