Publications

Pharmaceuticals, baby food, cotton clothing and cars are the four focus value chains of this report. 

Women make up almost half of Kenya’s labour force, yet they remain on the margins of business ownership – only 9% of Kenya’s firms are majority women-owned.

Asia-Pacific businesses call for services business groupings to join forces in a regional coalition, to shape a new APEC services agenda. Services represent 39% of APEC value-added trade – double the figures traditionally cited in balance of payments data. High-level business representatives in...

Government procurement offers a unique route to empower women and combat poverty, as this new ITC guide explains. Public procurement accounts for over 30% of GDP in developing countries and some 10-15% of GDP in developed countries. Women-owned businesses have been largely excluded from this...

This report outlines women’s roles in cotton production in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It compares women’s participation in the total workforce in these regions and suggests how to improve competitiveness by re-evaluating the roles of women.

Cotton production is both a contributor to and a ‘victim’ of climate change. Agricultural production, processing, trade and consumption contribute up to 30% of the world’s emissions when forest clearance is included in the calculation. Cotton production contributes to between 0.3% and 1% of...

Nepal could lose 4.3% of exports because of tariff changes when it graduates from least developed country status in 2026. The removal of preferential tariffs will especially affect the apparel, synthetic textile fabric and carpet sectors. Losses will mostly occur in exports to China, the European...

Being a women-owned company negatively affects the credibility of their business, say Indonesian women entrepreneurs in the services sector.

Understanding the global demand for environmental goods and services can unlock new export opportunities for developing country SMEs. This study provides a market overview of this complex sector, which reached an estimated US$ 866 billion in 2011, and is expected to rise to US$ 1.9 trillion by 2020...

Rwandan creative industries are exploring ways to tackle challenges and develop products and services for domestic and international markets. This ITC paper uses case studies to illustrate how music and film companies in Rwanda tap global platforms to expand outreach, follow the diaspora to enter...

 This guide is a showcase of successful public-private dialogue in developing countries. It demonstrates the value of business advocacy on trade policy issues featuring the Barbadian tourism industry, customs services in Ghana, Thailand’s automotive industry, Penang, Malaysia’s export...

Cocoa – A guide to trade practices is often referred to as ITC’s Cocoa Guide. The most recent version, from 2001, is still in demand.  The guide describes trade and industry practices, as well as regulations applying to cocoa. It traces customs procedures, systems and techniques used at...