Driving commercial and political engagement between Asia, the Middle East and Europe
Driving commercial and political engagement between Asia, the Middle East and Europe
Driving commercial and political engagement between Asia, the Middle East and Europe
As the world grapples with the public health and economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, Asia House welcomed Dr Bob Koopman, Chief Economist at the World Trade Organization, for a briefing on the pandemic’s repercussions for global trade.
Speaking via video link, Dr Koopman – who heads up a special WTO coronavirus taskforce – updated Asia House Corporate Members on the efforts being made to manage the economic shock from COVID-19 and protect the global trade architecture.
Dr Koopman shared insights from the recent G20 Trade Ministers meeting, and how governments around the world are addressing the crisis. He also outlined his thoughts on how the pandemic will shape the future of trade.
With Asia House Corporate Members joining the digital briefing from around the world, Dr Koopman took a range of questions on COVID-19’s potential impact, from the risk of a shift towards nationalism and reshoring, to the prospect of tariffs being relaxed in specific sectors. The overall affect of the virus on the global economy was also discussed.
Away from coronavirus, Dr Koopman also updated Corporate Members on the performance of the Trade Facilitation Agreement, and the ongoing discussions around WTO reform.
The briefing was part of a series of digital Asia House events with senior officials convened to keep our global network informed throughout the coronavirus crisis.
To find out more, please contact Evie Cramb, Programme Coordinator, at evie.cramb@asiahouse.co.uk
Asia House offers a range of services to support businesses and organisations, including bespoke events, online briefings, research, political intelligence, and stakeholder engagement and strategic communications advice. We are also running a coronavirus monitoring service, bringing together key public health and economic data, as well as the latest policy responses, from across Asia. These reports are shared with Corporate Members each week.
For more information about these services, including Asia House’s coronavirus monitoring reports, please contact Sarah King, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, at: sarah.king@asiahouse.co.uk
