ITC publications bring the business voice to sustainable trade, with a focus on developing countries. We offer guidance for trade policymakers, business support organizations and small firms. Our reports offer insights to make trade more inclusive, green, digital and competitive.
Online marketplaces are the dominant form of e-commerce for consumer goods in developed countries. They are also prominent across Africa, offering great potential to serve a new generation of consumers and open opportunities for small entrepreneurs. But little is known about these marketplaces in...
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are important actors in all economies and key to policies for inclusive growth, innovation, productivity and job creation. However, they tend to be trapped in low value-added tasks and commodity dependence. This joint paper with the World Economic Forum sets...
East Africa produces some of the world's most valuable specialty coffees, yet only a small share of profits go to coffee producers. Using case studies from Africa and beyond, the report explores how to get better prices for green coffee beans, learn about branding and develop business partnerships...
Trade promotion and investment megatrends were the focus of the 2016 Trade Promotion Organizations Network World Conference and Awards in Marrakesh, Morocco. The report includes a summary of discussions with participants from 85 countries. They addressed trends including digital transformation,...
Many micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) face significant barriers to realizing their potential in digital trade. From a lack of knowledge and skills to the unavailability of services or lack of access to a supportive environment, small businesses may find it challenging to...
This guide shows small garment manufacturers how to cost both traditional and value-added services they can offer their clients. It also shows how to reduce costs while aligning production processes and being better informed when engaging in contract negotiations.
Policymakers now have an SME-friendly toolkit to guide national reforms when implementing the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement. Addressing reforms from the perspective of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will spread benefits across the whole business community.
The African Continental Free Trade Area offers many opportunities to young Africans, who face challenges including high unemployment, lack of decent jobs, barriers to entrepreneurship and inadequate promotion of youth-led businesses. Tackling these challenges will help Africa’s large and rapidly...
Four services sectors are key to an economic transformation. This report calls them 'connected services.' Transport and logistics, financial services, information and communication technologies, and business and professional services contribute directly to economic growth – with an increasing...
This joint UNESCAP-ITC report advocates for mainstreaming trade facilitation in development strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).It highlights the potential for SME centres to share information on trade procedures, organize consultations on trade facilitation and provide other...
Trade policy for women took an international leap with the Buenos Aires Declaration on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment, endorsed by more than 120 countries at the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference of 2017. This report, produced under the auspices of the International Gender Champions’...
