Impacts of 2019 novel Coronavirus-caused pneumonia epidemic on China food import and export trade

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) has listed the pneumonia epidemic caused by the 2019 novel Coronavirus (COVID-19 ) as an “Public Health Emergency of International Concern”, which has aroused widespread concern in various countries. Although the Director General of the WHO, Tan Desai said that he does not recommend travel and trade restrictions on China, and some countries shall avoid taking extreme response measures, but in order to prevent and control the epidemic, some countries have adjusted their trade policies with China, causing certain impacts on China’s food import and export trade. At the same time, affected by the epidemic, delays in the work resumption of many domestic foreign trade enterprises have also caused losses to China’s foreign trade.

FOODMATE has summarized the impacts of the current COVID-19 caused pneumonia epidemic on food-related trade measures in various countries and regions, for your reference.

China will actively expand imports in response to the COVID-19 -caused pneumonia epidemic, further facilitate work related to technology import and export, and provide assistance to foreign trade enterprises

On February 3, 2020, the General Office of the Ministry of Commerce printed and distributed the “Notice on work related to actively expanding imports in response to the COVID-19 -caused pneumonia epidemic” and the “Notice on work related to further facilitating technology import and export during epidemic prevention and control”. The document states that China will actively use imports to increase the supply of domestic meat and other agricultural products in the market, give full play to the advantages of the new foreign trade format, and do a good job of expanding imports in light of local realities. In addition, local commerce authorities shall earnestly support enterprises in carrying out normal production and operation activities, and implement “no-meeting” services. On the same day, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, Wang Bingnan said at the press conference of the State Council Information Office that all central departments and local governments are making accurate policies for enterprises to do well in exporting.

At the same time, for the purpose of reducing enterprise losses, the Ministry of Commerce printed and distributed the “Notice on helping foreign trade enterprises to overcome difficulties and reduce losses in response to epidemic” on February 5, 2020, requiring all chambers of commerce to assist the enterprises in need to issue free factual proof of force majeure for failure of delivering on time due to the epidemic.