The COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted border agencies’ challenge to safeguarding public health while avoiding disruptions to the free movement of goods. These agencies are undertaking unprecedented measures to speed up import, export and transit of goods. At the same time, these agencies must cope with recent restrictive measures to trade whilst preserving trade flows and supply chains. This paper presents trade facilitation solutions, supported by country cases, to defeat trade challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The solutions seek to improve efficiency in four main areas: process optimization, cost reduction, transparency and cooperation enhancement, and full display of technology to ensure cross-border trade while reducing face-to-face interaction.
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