G-20 Leaders Denounce Food Export Controls, Support Aid-Related Sanctions Exemptions

The G-20 this week said countries should avoid introducing food export restrictions that are inconsistent with World Trade Organization rules and stressed the importance of keeping food supply chains running. In a joint statement after their meetings in Indonesia, leaders of the G-20 nations said they are committed to keeping food supply chains “functioning under challenging circumstances.”

“We reiterate our support for open, transparent, inclusive, predictable, and non-discriminatory, rules-based agricultural trade based on WTO rules,” the countries said. “We highlight the importance of enhancing market predictability, minimizing distortions, increasing business confidence, and allowing agriculture and food trade to flow smoothly."

The countries also said they support sanctions carve-outs for humanitarian activities and called on “all nations to support this aim, including through current efforts at the U.N.” Aid groups are pushing the U.N. to adopt a global general license to address gaps in existing humanitarian carve-outs (see 2211140060).