Travel Bans Take Heavy Toll on Businesses and Trade

The collapse in global goods trade is casting a long shadow over prospects for the world economy. Restrictions on the movement of people are also having a punishing impact on jobs and firms — despite teleconferencing.

The barriers for jet-setting workers that sprung up with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic have tended to remain in place, even as national lockdown measures have eased. As countries implement quarantines on arrivals from some countries, that’s also hitting business travel.