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.
This report on the ITC World Export Development Forum on Consumers, Ethics and Environment (October 2008), reflects on what ethical trade means, the growth in the global fair trade and ethical markets, how entrepreneurs in developing countries can break into these markets, and what trade support...
Case studies from Barbados, Ghana, India, Thailand and Malaysia 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,...
This guide helps small exporters understand how to obtain finance, outlining the credit process of financial institutions, pre-application preparation, finding appropriate lenders and loan repayment. Models for business plans and loan requests are included. The guide also examines barriers to...
The sector for leather and leather products plays an important role in many of the poorest countries in Africa, and leather manufacturing can be a significant employment generator in a number of these countries. While leather imports into South Africa declined over five years to only US$ 109 million...
This report presents results of an ITC survey of over 500 businesses in Sri Lanka on their views regarding non-tariff measures and a national workshop to discuss the results. Enterprises in Sri Lanka report difficulties with a broad range of measures, in particular with technical testing,...
This study focuses on export promotion schemes that developing countries may use without violating international trade rules. It examines the rules themselves – the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures for industrial goods and the Agreement on Agriculture for agricultural...
The clothing industry can be an important employment generator for many African countries. Clothing imports into South Africa rose over a five-year period to US$ 1.1 billion in 2009, making it the world’s twenty-fifth largest importer of this product group. Most imports were from Asia. However,...
This study invites national legislators as well as all those involved in enhancing the national business environment to consider secured financing schemes that will allow an increase in the amount of credit offered to SMEs. The reasoning is simple: allow as collateral property that SMEs usually...
While standards play an increasingly important role in international trade and global value chains, little is known about their actual impacts in these chains. By applying a systematic literature approach, The Impacts of Private Standards on Global Value Chains aims to apply the key research...
Small and medium-sized enterprises, the backbone of many economies, did nearly all their business within national borders until just a few decades ago. Now they are exporting to and importing from all corners of the world. But most small firms do not have access to the legal advice they need at the...
The coffee sector has a huge potential to contribute to poverty alleviation in East Africa, but the sector’s development is hampered by a lack of savings and credit facilities. Moreover, women’s access to financial services is even more restricted than that of men, and most women in rural areas...
South Africa: A Potential Market for Agri-food Products from Africa aims to guide exporters in developing countries—mainly in Africa—on how to access the newly emerging agri-food market in South Africa. South Africa imported US$ 325 million worth of fruits, vegetables and spices in 2009. The...
