Publications

This year’s report focuses on regional trade, the most common form of trade for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

This is a national companion guide to the publication The Business Guide for Sustainability in Foreign Investments.

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...

The Textile and Clothing Sector in Asian Graduating Least Developed Countries: Challenges and Ways Forward

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

This report shows how sustainability standards can be a powerful tool for post-pandemic recovery.

Standards and regulations have a major impact on SME competitiveness.

This guide offers small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) insights on negotiation and collaboration with lead firms in international value chains. It addresses topics such as compliance with standards and regulations, contractual relationships, production and performance management, types of...

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...

Standards and regulations have a major impact on SME competitiveness.