Implementing a total ban on all Chinese imports to the country is not only unrealistic and unnecessary, but also unlikely to have any impact on preventing the new coronavirus infection from entering the country, said a source at the ministry of commerce and industry.
The new strain of coronavirus that has led to deaths of over a hundred in China, and infected several thousands in the country and elsewhere, is believed to be largely transmitted when an uninfected person comes in direct contact with an infected person, or from touching surfaces contaminated by coughs or sneezes from the patient.
The ability of viruses to cause infection once they are outside the human body drops sharply, so infection from contact with contaminated surfaces is highly unlikely unless it happens immediately.
Trade data reveals that China was the largest trading partner for Kuwait in 2018, with bilateral trade worth nearly US$19 billion between the countries. But nearly $13 billion of this trade value comes from joint venture projects and the export of Kuwaiti oil to China. The remaining $6 billion of goods traded include manufactured goods and a limited amount of food items.
Kuwait Port Authority has already instructed all concerned agencies that health inspections of Chinese ships and goods will be held at sea, before they enter Kuwait ports. Authorities have also pointed out that food products supplied to citizens through the ration-card is free of Chinese products and moreover that fear of coronavirus transmission through food is unfounded as the virus does not remain virulent for long on outside surfaces.