Publications

While more than 40% of existing trade strategies identify trade integration and regionalism as crucial policy areas, less than 3% of the strategies are regional. Nor do they fully build on diversification opportunities in services and manufacturing.This is one of many trends in trade strategies,...

To be part of value chains dominated by large global players, small and medium-sized enterprises need a sound business environment, ready access to finance, and institutional support to reach new markets and to defend their interests.

Deeper regional integration goes hand in hand with strengthening processing industries and the internationalization of SMEs.Trade integration within and among regions of African, Caribbean and Pacific Island groups are measured in this study. Regions with the fastest trade integration over the last...

This ITC 50th anniversary publication explores new opportunities to connect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries to global markets, provides recommendations for trade assistance and presents a road map for ITC’s future work.

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.

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...

For developing countries to tap into the rapidly growing services economy, their business communities must be fully involved in expanding trade in services and tackling related regulatory issues. This book helps government and business to collaborate effectively, and can assist in training on...

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

Streamlining government procedures, improving transport maintenance and IT infrastructure, and better dissemination of trade-related information are cited as keys to improving Kenya’s export performance, in a new ITC country study on non-tariff measures. Two-thirds of companies surveyed in...

The right mix of national trade policy and regulations can give businesses export competitiveness and a jump-start in global value chains. This guide brings together the combination of policy instruments to lift export competitiveness: tariffs and non-tariff measures; trade facilitation initiatives;...

Jointly published by ITC, WTO and UNCTAD, this annual report presents tariff-based market access conditions for goods imposed by 164 WTO Members and other countries. The report contains aggregated product statistics; tariffs imposed and faced by each economy; and an overview of non-tariff...

Rwandan exporters face onerous standards imposed by private clients in addition to government requirements, an ITC survey reveals. Fair Trade certificates demanded by clients in the European Union, especially for coffee and tea, are bringing costs and delays that seriously hinder Rwandan exporters,...