Latest content: Impact of COVID-19 on Commonwealth Countries

The Commonwealth Caribbean is home to a cluster of the most stable democracies among developing countries. Most countries in the region have been independent for at least 40 years and they have, with certain exceptions, displayed the main elements of free and democratic societies.

By June 2022, it will be nearly two and a half years since the outbreak of COVID-19.

The Commonwealth Secretariat commissioned 11 papers to provide baseline information on how COVID-19 has impacted education systems in Commonwealth member countries. The papers have been edited and restructured so that they are now similar in length and arrangement, with the results collected into 11 chapters under four sections.

This study analyses the supply chains for medical goods across the Commonwealth countries.It assesses trade flows related to the health sector and, more specifically, import and export data for essential COVID-19 medical supplies.

This paper maps patterns of maritime trade in the Commonwealth with a view to exploring the effects of the pandemic and policy implications for post-COVID recovery and resilience-building in Commonwealth countries.

This issue of the Commonwealth’s Trade Hot Topics takes stock of Caribbean-EU relations to date with the intent of assessing what recent developments signal for their economic relations in the future.

This issue of Trade Hot Topics examines the broader threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the food security of developing countries, including most Commonwealth small states, LDCs and SSA countries.

The global pandemic caused by COVID-19 has initiated economic and social disruptions at an unprecedented scale.

Commonwealth countries’ trade and investment have been affected significantly by COVID-19.

This paper employs the gravity model of international trade to examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on global and intra-Commonwealth trade flows.

This paper evaluates the historical evolution of the DR discussions and explores relevant considerations for Commonwealth small states.

This paper will first re-examine the importance of remittances to developing countries and will also look at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on remittances flows in 2020, both across the Commonwealth and beyond.

This paper assesses infrastructure using various parameters including access, affordability and performance.

In most Commonwealth member countries, services account for at least half of total economic activity in terms of gross domestic product.

This paper examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted merchandise trade between and with Commonwealth countries.

Digital trade is increasingly touted as a key pathway for mitigating economic losses from COVID-19.

Issue 172 of Trade Hot Topics provides an overview of recent developments in the evolving COVID-19 vaccine landscape.

This paper explores the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on trade in food products in Commonwealth countries.

This issue of Trade Hot Topics examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Commonwealth FDI.

This paper considers the salience of commodities in Commonwealth members' merchandise trade and estimates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the commodities exports to five main markets: China, the USA, the European Union (EU-27), the UK and Australia.

International trade fuels economic growth by increasing employment, production and the provision of a wider variety of goods and services at lower prices.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to severe economic disruption, with the large informal sector in Caribbean Commonwealth countries being particularly vulnerable.

This paper summarises current policy responses and groups them into five key areas: health and safety measures; welfare support; responses on taxes and fees; finance and credit measures; and structural policies.