Brussels, 23rd April 2020, Leaders of the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) representing global chemicals industries across the world urge G20 leaders to “foster a globally coordinated response” to the pandemic. In a letter sent to the G20 leaders, ICCA offers five key recommendations to implement on an international scale to help defeat COVID-19 and help save lives:
- Designate chemical manufacturers and downstream value chains as essential businesses so that they can continue to operate and deliver the critical goods and services needed to combat the pandemic;
- Coordinate globally and regionally with industry to ease supply chain constraints;
- Support and facilitate supply chains for products essential for combatting COVID-19 as well as the value chain materials comprising those products;
- Commit immediately to a standstill and rollback of trade-distorting measures on products essential for combatting COVID-19; and
- Provide facilitating and financing support to suppliers of small- and medium-sized enterprises manufacturing products essential for combatting COVID-19, as well as the value chain materials comprising those products, to bolster supply chains and trade flows.