The United States, Brazil and Colombia, later joined by Japan, issued a joint call at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for accelerated implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (AFC) at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Press release of the international entity.
At the meeting of the WTO Trade Facilitation Committee held on 20 and 21 October, the US Ambassador to the WTO Dennis Shea, said the WTO “is not the forum to provide health solutions to COVID-19, but it is the forum to provide the roadmap for countries to access and trade medical and health supplies and equipment across borders. Cross-border trade is a critical channel to get essential products to those who need them, and can play a critical role in keeping those goods moving across borders", the press release says.
The TFA, concluded at the WTO Bali Ministerial Conference in 2013 and in force since 2017, focuses on measures to expedite the movement, release and clearance of goods, including goods in transit. It also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other relevant authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues.
The resolution allowed developing countries and least developed countries to group their commitments into three categories, with the first to be implemented at the outset and the rest according to the delay.
The four sponsors stressed that they were not calling for WTO members to make new commitments, but only wanted the implementation of the commitments to be accelerated.
En general, The implementation rate of TFA commitments currently stands at just over 66% for all WTO Members.Fifteen developing countries have already achieved 100% implementation of the TFA (developed countries were required to ensure full implementation when the TFA entered into force).
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