Leadership Insights Live: 的 Role of Maritime Trade in the Post-COVID Recovery – Europe Focus round-up

Shipping has a vital role to play in post pandemic recovery for the EU but must not be ignored in reforms to the bloc’s trade policy, 在最新的“领导力洞察直播”(Leadership Insights Live)上，演讲者如是说道.

强调欧盟对全球海上贸易的重要性， Guy Platten，国际航运协会秘书长, 指出，欧盟港口在2021年第一季度处理了8.24亿吨货物, 海上贸易占该地区货物贸易量的81%.

然而, protectionist measures are threatening to undermine boosts to global trade that could aid in economic recovery from the 新型冠状病毒肺炎 pandemic. 的 欧洲议会国际贸易委员会主席贝恩德·兰格表示， 他说，贸易限制在全球变得越来越普遍, 在疫情期间，出口限制有所增加.

“我们面临的情况是，这个以规则为基础的贸易体系将变得更加, 比如说以权力为基础的交易系统, 这不符合我们的利益,他说. “We have to resist against this tendency of power play in trade, sometimes really weaponising trade.”

Platten quantified potential gains for national economies cutting tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade, 如ICS报告所述, 海洋经济中的保护主义. 在该报告最雄心勃勃的设想中，这可能导致GDP增长高达3%.国民经济增长4%.

张若思，世贸组织服务贸易与投资司参赞, 强调了这一点, stating that “the EU still has a lot to gain from the further liberalisation in maritime transport”.

欧洲以外的, Platten said that all countries stand to gain from a reduction of maritime protectionism, 不管经济发展如何. He added that it is crucial to give equal focus to removing tariff and non-tariff restrictions and that a combination of domestic reforms and multilateral negotiations is vital.

公平开放的贸易

兰格说 the ICS study’s findings “are crucial” because the EU faces increasing trade restrictions globally that are “impacting import and export and harming business and national economies”.  He stressed that as the world biggest trading bloc, the EU depends on fair and open trade. 贸易占欧盟GDP的30%，雇员约3600万人.

欧盟“真的在努力重建一个基于规则的体系”。, 兰格说, 并“深度参与”WTO规则的现代化. 尽管指出该系统“面临压力”，, with major trading partners showing little engagement in the process of stabilising a rules-based system for trade, he explained that the EU continues to push with the likes of India and the US for the system to be reviewed and new rules developed for e-commerce and subsidies.

他还指出了与墨西哥达成自由贸易协定的必要性, 智利和澳大利亚待决, 这将减少限制, 出口管制及关税.

一个双赢的

在减少非关税贸易壁垒的重要一步中， 欧洲服务论坛(ESF)董事总经理Pascal Kerneis 注意到，经过多年的失败尝试, last December 67 WTO members reached an agreement to simplify trading services and cutting red tape around trade – something the ESF had been advocating for more than a decade.

的 signatories, which include the EU, UK, US and China, represent 90% of all trade in services.  该协议, 他说, will help in simplifying regulations and easing procedural barriers to navigate foreign markers and export overseas, 特别是中小企业. 预计每年将削减1330亿英镑的贸易成本.

公平竞争的环境

Zhang also highlighted that the webinar was taking place on the first anniversary of the EU publishing  its 贸易政策检讨 去年2月. 欧洲共同体船东协会(ECSA)主席philip Philis, said his organisation “strongly welcomed” the new EU Trade Policy and encouraged efforts to conclude Free Trade Agreements  with neighbouring countries and to prioritise safeguarding free and non-discriminatory market access to maritime transport.

他强调, as shipping is the “backbone of trade” it must have a continued voice during EU trade discussions at both multi and bi-lateral level. 然而，他向欧盟发出了警告. “我们向欧盟传达的主要信息是, 一直都是, 在与第三方谈判时，永远不要把航运作为交易.”

供应链中断

Speakers also acknowledged how global trade has been impacted by a strong rebound and growth in demands for consumer goods throughout the pandemic, 以及政府对COVID的限制, 给全球供应链带来巨大压力.

兰格说 that in some cases there is an average delay of around seven days in maritime transport “which is not acceptable for a lot of just in time production processes”. 他补充称，有关在岸制造业价值的问题依然存在. Philis confirmed that delays in maritime transport were symptomatic of ‘protectionist measures and COVID related issues [which] remove [maritime transport] capacity from the market’.

普拉滕指出，必须从这次大流行病中吸取宝贵的教训, “尤其是供应链弹性”, 注意到海员始终为保持全球贸易的发展而付出的辛勤工作. He stressed that WTO has a key role to play in ensuring nations work together to ensure supply chain resilience going forward.

航运的绿色角色

世界正努力从大流行的经济影响中复苏, 它还必须加快脱碳努力. 而航运业继续走自己的去碳化之路, 张说，它也将在世界的绿色转型中发挥“关键作用”. 这将包括在世界各地运输绿色燃料.

菲利斯指出，随着脱碳努力的继续, 对铁矿石等大宗商品的需求也可能增加, 铜和钴, “因此，总的来说，航运对脱碳变得更加重要。”.

Philis said that the shipping industry is “committed to contribute its fair share to reduce GHG and improve sustainability” and supports EU ambition to contribute to global progress on sustainability and responsible supply chains through its trade policy.

然而, 他对海事组织一级不协调的区域办法表示关切, 这可能会形成一个“双层市场”。. He urged the EU to ensure a global level playing field and that green measures such as the Fit for 55 legislative package does not disadvantage European companies.

Lange later responded that decarbonising the maritime transport sector “should not lead to competition disadvantages but [the maritime industry] has to bring their part of the game to climate neutrality”.