In their May 2020 newsletter, Universitas Pelita Harapan Center for International Trade & Investment (UPH-CITI) examine Indonesia’s COVID-19 economic and trade responses, highlighting fiscal and non-fiscal stimulus measures, including relaxed import rules for medical goods and the controversial removal of V-Legal export requirements for timber, which may breach the EU-Indonesia VPA. Rising global export protectionism, especially for medical supplies, has led to supply chain disruptions and higher prices. In Indonesia, mask shortages were driven by panic buying and supply bottlenecks, not production issues. The authors stress that global cooperation, not trade restrictions, is key to tackling the pandemic effectively.