Foreword

The global economy is going through unprecedented times. The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the world, threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in both developed and developing economies, with a particularly devastating impact on small businesses. World trade plummeted in the first half the year, and despite signs of trade bouncing back, WTO estimates in October 2020 still forecast a 9.2 per cent decline in the volume of world merchandise trade for 2020.