The information note provides an overview of the impact of COVID-19 on various modes of supply and sectors that have been heavily affected by the crisis.
It underscores that the crisis has led to greater reliance on online services in a number of sectors as consumers develop new habits to cope with social distancing measures imposed to combat the pandemic.
The report points to the importance of services to broader economic activity and its role in connecting supply chains and facilitating merchandise trade.
As services account for most of women’s employment globally and a great share of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises activity, disruptions in the supply of services also have an impact on social and economic inclusiveness.
The report suggests that services trade will be key to economic recovery globally.
Services such as telecommunications and computing that are vital for online supply and those such as distribution, transport, and logistics that facilitate merchandise trade will help to support economic growth.
Download: Trade in Services in the Context of COVID-19
Key points
Director-General Roberto Azevêdo notes (in the video above) that the COVID-19 crisis has caused dramatic supply and demand shocks in the world economy and that these shocks are inevitably causing major disruptions to trade.
WTO economists project that trade will fall steeply in every region of the world and across all sectors of the economy.
In an optimistic scenario, the volumes of global trade in goods volumes could tumble by 13% in 2020.
If the pandemic is not brought under control, and governments fail to coordinate policy responses, the decline could be 32% or more.
Two factors will determine the strength of our recovery. One, how quickly the pandemic is brought under control. And two, the policy choices governments make.
Related Article: Differences between the COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Supply Chain Disruptions
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