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.
Literature review of interdependencies between public and private standards. It focuses on how governments could engage with private standards to impact their legitimacy and significance in the market; provides examples of complementarities between public and private standards. Part three of a...
This paper provides key information about the North American natural products market with a special focus on selected South American and African products. Natural products in the North American market have experienced strong market growth in the last decade as consumers increasingly demand...
Mauritian exporters claim to be less affected by trade barriers than many other countries that have participated in the ITC business surveys on non-tariff measures. Among the 400 Mauritian firms surveyed, 27% of exporters were adversely affected by non-tariff measures; 36% of importing firms...
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...
Lack of adequate SPS infrastructure and a recognized national standards body in the country is one of the primary causes of difficulties faced by Cambodian exporters, according to ITC’s new country study on non-tariff measures. A survey of 502 exporters and importers in Cambodia finds 69% of the...
Some 70% of Tanzanian businesses say they face burdensome non-tariff measures (NTMs), mostly related to food and agro-based products, according to a recent ITC survey. Nearly 84% of these cases are for exports to developing countries, mostly to the East African Community and the Southern African...
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,...
This paper guides exporters, packers and processors of organic food products through packaging sourcing and selection options. It helps them understand requirements and formulate their own packaging strategies, thereby creating new opportunities and competitiveness in their business. It includes an...
A comparison of sustainability schemes, as well as an overview of the trends in the markets for specialty and sustainable coffees. Coffee niche markets provide opportunities for producers in developing countries to increase their incomes. This paper, drawn from ITC’s new book on the coffee trade,...
Paper focusing on the contribution of the coffee value chain to climate change and the effects of climate change on global coffee production with particular reference to smallholder coffee producers in developing and least developed countries – reviews the opportunities to mitigate greenhouse gas...
Pakistani companies in key export sectors can boost sales and employment by taking advantage of new market access terms offered by the European Union since 2014 under its ‘Generalized System of Preferences-plus’ (GSP+) scheme. This business guide outlines what the GSP+ status entails for...
This paper aims to guide exporters of agricultural products through the process of product carbon footprinting so as to make it easier for them to understand the processes involved, improve their environmental performance and ultimately to reduce the costs for their business. This paper presents a...
