Shipping containers are stacked next to grand cranes at the Yangshan Deep Water Port in East China's Shanghai on Tuesday. About 70 percent of cargoes from the Yangtze River Delta are transported overseas from this port, which is home to the world's largest fully automated terminal. Photo: VCG

The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Monday called on countries to refrain from restricting global trade due to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus, as some countries reportedly moved to restrict vessels from China and even bar imports of certain products from China.

"I want to stress that there is no reason to take interventionist measures against global trade," Gao Feng, a spokesperson for the MOFCOM, said at a press briefing online on Monday, noting that the World Health Organization (WHO) has made recommendations against limiting travel and trade.

The WHO, while declaring the coronavirus outbreak as a public health emergency of global concern, has recommended countries not limit travel and trade.

Gao further noted that China has the confidence and capability to overcome the epidemic and called for cooperation from other countries in the fight against the outbreak and in facilitating normal global trade.

After barring flights from China, some countries, including Indonesia and Turkey, have reportedly moved to bar imports of Chinese products such as live animals due to concerns over the coronavirus. Countries such as Singapore and Australia have also reportedly taken tough measures against Chinese vessels at their ports. India, South Korea and some other countries have barred exports of certain goods such as surgical masks to China.

China will also closely monitor how the epidemic will impact export-oriented businesses and take further measures to support companies to ensure the resumption of production, the MOFCOM spokesperson added on Monday.

As China continues a nationwide campaign to contain the epidemic, many factories and businesses across the country have been closed for weeks, although officials are helping companies to resume operations starting this week. The closures of factories in China also disrupts the global supply chain for a wide range of sectors such as the auto industry. 

Chinese officials have also rolled out measures to help companies in dealing with the potential impact on their foreign contracts from the epidemic. For example, officials in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province have solicited several law firms to help small and medium-sized companies handle potential disputes about their foreign contracts, the MOFCOM said on Monday.


Newspaper headline: Ministry urges other countries not to restrict global trade