“What Would Fight the Great Recession in Global Trade?”

The Covid-19 outbreak puts most policymakers and governments at test as until recently many remained complacent about the potential economic impact of the coronavirus crisis, expecting it would be brief, limited and China-specific. Now as we realise that it is generating a global shock, we still expect it to be short. But what if the economic disruption has an enduring impact? It is especially relevant as we see it fueling other trends that are already undermining globalization - fragmentation of international supply chains, decreasing hypermobility of global businesses and a life- time opportunity for those favoring greater protectionism and immigration controls. Could the coronavirus pandemic become the nail in the coffin for global economy and trade as we know it?