ECSA highlights the important role of shipping as vector of global trade in its contribution to EU Trade Policy Review, and calls for the continuation of the EU concluding trade agreements.
Despite being substantially affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the shipping sector has kept global markets connected and supplied the world with essential goods and services. This could not have happened if too many barriers had been in place and hampered free trade and open markets.
In this context, ECSA underlines how it is important — now more than ever— to avoid taking open market access for granted and urges the EU – and all other international players – not to turn to protectionism, but to continue on a path of an open, rules-based and multilateral trade framework, which was already under challenge prior to the pandemic.
To remind, in early June the European Commission is conducting a major review of the EU’s trade policy to build a fresh outlook for the years ahead. This will respond to new global challenges and take into account the lessons learned from the coronavirus crisis.
Martin Dorsman, ECSA Secretary-General commented that
Shipping transports around 90% of the global trade in goods, making it the backbone of world trade. The European shipping industry has a keen interest in the EU’s trade policy as it can only serve world trade if the right framework is in place. We fully welcome the review and are keen to contribute as much as possible to the process for a stronger, better enforced EU trade and investment policy.
In addition, given that EU operators rely on the certainty that commitments enshrined in trade agreements will be respected, a recent rise in protectionism targeting maritime transport services is worrying.
ECSA is keen to be able to rely more on the EU’s expertise and support to fight these trends, and welcomes a more systematic and rapid approach to resolving market access barriers which run contrary to EU trade agreements or international trade principles more broadly.