On April 22, 2020 the members of the World Trade Organization (hereinafter - WTO), including Ukraine, spread the Joint statement on provision of the open and predictable agricultural and food products trade during the COVID-19 pandemic. The document was developed, continuing the announcement of the Ministers of Agriculture of G20, concerning the necessity of coordinated cooperation in order to provide the world food safety in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

In the Joint statement the importance of preventing unjustified restrictions on agricultural exports that could disrupt global supply chains and affect the food security of other countries is emphasized. It should be mentioned that the share in the global agricultural and food products exports of the signers of the Statement equals to more than 63%. Moreover, the signers asked all the WTO members to coordinate their actions concerning this issue.

The participants of the Joint statement said that the timely and accurate information on agricultural and food products trade, production levels, consumption and supplies, as well as prices, reduces uncertainty and allows the governments, traders, consumers and manufacturers to make the right decisions.

So, the Joint statement creators, declare the intention to:

ensure the openness and continuity of supply chains in order to continue the proper functioning of international agricultural products and resources trade markets, which plays an important role in preventing food shortages and ensuring global food security;

avoid creation of internal supplies of agricultural food products, which are traditionally exported, in order to avoid distructions or disbalance of the international trade;

not to set the restrictions on agricultural products exports as well as to avoid creation of unjustified trade barriers, concerning agricultural and food products and the resources of the agricultural products manufacturing;

in case of implementation of the emergency measures, concerning agricultural products, and aimed at fighting the COVID-19, the process of these measures implementation must be targeted, proportionate, transparent, temporary, comply with the rules of the WTO agreements, and not to create unjustified trade barriers or disrupt global supply chains;

inform the WTO about any COVID-19 connected trade measures, which can influence the agricultural products as soon as possible. The necessary scientific evidence in accordance with WTO agreements must be included;

support the WTO and other international organizations’ efforts, concerning analysis of the COVID-19 influence on global trade and agricultural products manufacturing;

participate in the “dialogue” in order to improve the level of readiness and capacity to react on regional or international pandemics, including the multilateral coordination aimed at reduction of restrictions on agricultural products exports, in particular within the WTO.

At the same time, in this document the significant attention is paid to the need for the WTO members to follow the principles of transparency, proportionality and predictability in case of implementation of trade measures in response to the spread of coronavirus. Moreover, in the statement the importance of access to the actual information, concerning the production levels, consumption and supplies, as well as prices, through the existing international market monitoring mechanisms is emphasized.

Reference source: UNN