The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), the trade association for the global chemical industry, of which the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association has been a full member since 2012, has issued a letter of support for the G20 Trade Actions’ response to the crisis caused by COVID-19 and its efforts to sustain global value chains and facilitate trade.
In the letter, the associations expressed their appreciation, on behalf of the global and regional chemical industry, for the efforts made by governments around the world to moderate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. They further praised the initiatives currently in place in partnership with government and industry to support relief efforts and to sustain economic resilience.
The letter went on to emphasize the global industry’s commitment towards working closely with the private and public sectors to help address the global health crisis.
As manufacturers, the letter said, global chemical producers can make a valuable contribution to society by applying measures to prevent the spread of the infection at their sites, maintain production through the crisis, and provide science-based solutions to the challenges caused by COVID-19.
The letter was developed by the ICCA’s Trade Policy Network Group (TPNG) of which Mr. Ahmad Al-Saleh, Global Business Director – Ethylene Glycol, EQUATE and Vice-Chairman, GPCA International Trade Committee (ITC), is a member. It was supported by the GPCA Secretariat in conjunction with members of the ITC.
ICCA expressed special appreciation for governments’ commitment to foster a globally coordinated response, encourage strong measures to sustain global value chains, facilitate trade and continue to foster commercial engagement and partnerships.
The letter put forward recommendations to help governments, and especially G20 Leaders, combat the pandemic. These included:
- Coordinating globally and regionally, including with industry, to ease supply chain constraints
- Designating chemical manufacturers and downstream value chains as essential businesses
- Committing to rollback export restrictions on products essential for combatting COVID-19
- Facilitating supply chains of products essential for combatting COVID-19
- Providing support to suppliers of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
To read the full list of recommendations and letter click here.
Global COVID-19 Tracker for the Chemical Industry
A new worldwide initiative dubbed the ‘Global COVID-19 Tracker for the Chemical Industry’ has been launched to help chemical firms and organizations navigate the changes and challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic.
GPCA took part in the initiative by providing vital information on the chemical industry classification and measures currently in place in relation to manufacturing, logistics and services in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The chemical industry is a global enterprise and with most manufacturers operating worldwide, their operations and supply chains are directly impacted by the legislation, trade and travel restrictions and measures currently in place as a result of the pandemic in respective countries.
The Global COVID-19 Tracker is designed to provide a snapshot of all required information per region, including Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Africa, MENA, Canada and the USA, and provide up-to-date and reliable information to member companies in order to help them make informed decisions about their business. The tracker permits to classify sectors and especially how the chemical industry is classified in respective countries and is updated on a weekly basis.
The initiative was launched by the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), prompted by a number of inquiries from the EU chemical industry. It was facilitated globally by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), in collaboration with the ICCA Steering Committee and member associations and made available to ICCA’s expansive network of companies and organizations.
The initiative was launched in partnership with global consultancy firm McLarty Associates in response to increased inquiries from member organizations, seeking to obtain accurate and reliable information on developments in relation to the coronavirus pandemic impacting the chemical sector in countries across the globe.
For more information about the global tracker, contact Nathalie Allard at nal@cefic.be.