The World Customs Organization and the World Trade Organization will be working “closely together to minimize disruption to cross-border trade in goods -- in particular those essential to combat COVID-19 -- while safeguarding public health,” the groups said in a joint news release. “Within our respective mandates, we have already invited Members to increase transparency by sharing information on new trade and trade-related measures introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” they said. “To the extent appropriate, we are making such information publicly available through our respective websites. We are also willing to establish a coordinated approach in support of initiatives that facilitate cross-border trade in goods, in particular those key to combat COVID-19. This would allow that essential goods can quickly reach those most in need, including in least developed and land-locked countries.” Border measures meant to protect citizens should be temporary and rescinded “once they are no longer needed, especially if they restrict trade,” they said. “We welcome initiatives to facilitate and simplify cross-border procedures and urge our Members to prioritize those for exporting and importing essential goods.”

Export restrictions on food, medicine or medical supplies “must be targeted, proportionate, transparent, and temporary,” the G-20 countries said in a statement on trade and COVID-19 released March 30. They agreed they would notify the World Trade Organization if any restrictions are implemented, and they will consider the needs of other countries for emergency supplies and humanitarian assistance. “We are actively working to ensure the continued flow of vital medical supplies and equipment, critical agricultural products, and other essential goods and services across borders, for supporting the health of our citizens. Consistent with national requirements, we will take immediate necessary measures to facilitate trade in those essential goods,” the ministers wrote. They want global supply chains to continue to function.

There's been a recent uptick in international enforcement activity involving counterfeit medical goods, the World Customs Organization said in a notice. “ While the world is gripped by the fight against COVID-19, criminals have turned this into an opportunity for fraudulent activity,” the WCO said. “There have been an alarming number of reports quoting seizures of counterfeit critical medical supplies, such as face masks and hand sanitizers in particular. Customs and law enforcement agencies in China, Germany, Indonesia, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam, to name but a few, have reported such seizures in the past three weeks.” There's also been a recent trend of export licensing requirements for “certain categories of critical medical supplies, such as face masks, gloves and protective gear,” the WCO said.

Canadian and Mexican politicians are sending different messages to their countries' journalists about how quickly the uniform regulations can be completed for the new NAFTA, now known as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. A Canadian politician and a labor leader told a Canadian newspaper that a June 1 date of entry into force is unlikely, given how much remains to be done to be ready, and especially with the disruption caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Customs Organization created a dedicated site and medical supply classification guide to help during the COVID-19 epidemic, the WCO said in a news release. “During this time of crisis, the global Customs community is invited to continue advocating for and realize the facilitation of not just relief supplies but of all goods being traded in order to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya said. The WCO said it “will continue to proactively communicate with its Members and partners, not only on measures to facilitate the movement of relief consignments, but on action to safeguard supply chain continuity.”

The June 8-11 ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization will not go forward, the director general of the WTO told members March 12. The coronavirus pandemic makes it not feasible, he said. A worldwide agreement on fisheries subsidies was supposed to come together in time for the meeting.

European Union Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan, who was scheduled to give a speech in Washington next week, canceled his trip because of the coronavirus pandemic, a spokesman said. The groups that had invited him to speak canceled the events. The cancelation was made before Trump announced that non-citizens and non-green card holders would not be allowed to fly between the EU countries that have open borders and the U.S. That ban does not cover Ireland, Hogan's home country, but does cover Belgium, where the EU has its headquarters.

The U.S. and the United Kingdom will begin trade negotiations this month, the U.K.’s Department for International Trade said March 10. U.K. Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands visited the U.S. this week to meet with industry and government representatives, when he planned to discuss trade “opportunities” with administration officials. In a statement, Hands said the deal will “scrap unnecessary red tape” and “bring more opportunities for businesses.”

The American Apparel and Footwear Association published the 21st edition of its Restricted Substance List, which provides information on regulations and laws that restrict or ban certain chemicals and substances in finished home textile, apparel and footwear products around the world. The AAFA released the last list in February 2019. The list “serves as a practical tool to help individuals in textile, apparel and footwear companies, and their suppliers -- responsible for environmental compliance throughout the supply chain -- to become more aware of various national and international regulations governing the amount of substances that are permitted in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products,” the AAFA said.

A Canadian government analysis of NAFTA's replacement -- known as the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement in that country -- estimates that it will increase Canadian GDP by just under 0.25% over five years. The estimate is based on comparing CUSMA to a withdrawal from NAFTA, not from the present trade deal.