WTO Looks at COVID-19 and Ecommerce

Product safety was among numerous pandemic-related ecommerce developments and complications identified in a May 4 report by the World Trade Organization (WTO). It expressed concern especially with small and direct-to-consumer shipments, writing (bit.ly/2WHAHq2):

"The increased number of small packages ordered directly to consumers has raised challenges with regard to compliance with health and safety regulations in importing countries, as well as with regard to protecting the health of the workers involved in handling and inspecting the goods. In part, the reason for the latter challenges is that regulatory agencies and other authorities responsible for assessing product conformity with such regulations are not necessarily equipped to inspect large volumes of small packages entering, for example, through postal or courier services."

"In addition, the speed of these activities has significantly altered the logistics chain, and more so as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. This creates new challenges and difficulties for border authorities, which must intervene not only to inspect but also to collect and share, at an international level, pertinent information and data allowing them to determine the risks involved in each transacttion, including with respect to the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT) regulatory aspects of goods. These challenges illustrate the importance of ensuring that members base their health and safety regulations on relevant international standards wherever possible, in line with the WTO's TBT and SPS Agreements, and of regulatory cooperation to ensure that safety- and quality-approved products are fast-tracked."