May Edition 2020

14 In Italy, Simmons & Simmons ’ Milan-base d Ariel Nachman , O f Counsel in the Corporate & Commercial International group, pointed out: “On the positive end, pharmaceuticals and healthcare sector have been on the up, given the increase of demand for vaccines / antibiotics and medical services, online entertainment and education has increased as consumer spending on internet services has spiked, e-commerce has been boosted as consumers have avoided bricks-and-mortar stores for fear of infection.” “One of the many industries shaken by COVID-19 is Agrotech” says Shabot. “Farmers and growers worldwide have faced a tremendous loss of business following a lack of demand for their products.As the Agrotech industry leans on other businesses, such as restaurants and venues, mostly closed due to the pandemic, it is hard to predict how quickly they could recover. With that in mind, the U.S. government has issued the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on March 27, 2020. It includes several provisions offering support for U.S. agribusiness, ranchers, and farmers. Overall, the legislation includes roughly USD 49 billion in funding for crop and livestock producers, nutrition assistance, and support for local producers to thwart the negative impacts of COVID-19.” “On the negative end, in automotive and logistics, disruption to supply has effected production and the ability to complete orders. Travel bans and fear have crippled the tourism industry, and consumer has been highly impacted due to reduced consumption,” added Nachman. Swalomir Uss , p artner in Polish law firm, Sołtysiński Kawecki & Szlęzak (“SK&S”), added: “Obviously, the whole business of retail is affected, which translates to problems for shopping malls, factories, and the whole retail supply chain. On the other hand, e-commerce is booming, as is logistics, especially related to groceries and food. In Poland, there was no ban on construction or infrastructure works. These businesses continue to operate and the pandemic has not yet affected these works yet, though one will see to what extent the pandemic will decrease the future volume of work.” Agrotech industry shaken hard