China, ‘the world’s factory’ and home to $4 trillion in manufacturing output, is home to a significant proportion of confirmed cases of COVID-19. Now in shock, domestic factory output has seen sharp declines, as have the construction and retail sectors. Ports have been shut down, disrupting global supply chains, and the WTO now expects COVID-19 to have a substantial impact on global trade. Banks, tasked with maintaining the flow of trillions of dollars of trade finance, are now compelled to figure out how to keep trade operations running as usual, in a way that limits the spread of coronavirus. Major trade shows and events have been cancelled. And the long term impact on global commerce is unknown, with few experts willing to make predictions at this stage.

During these strange and unprecedented times, the global trade industry must act together to continue servicing economies around the world. TFG and ITFA welcomed global experts from the industry, joining from Singapore and London, to discuss how the trade industry is not only keeping the lights on, but forming the frontline for millions of businesses around the world.