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.
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;...
With health tourism on the rise, this study draws upon four Asian countries - India, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines – to offer insight into how developing countries can attract a greater share in this industry. The study is relevant for all countries exploring market opportunities in...
Global value chains in services can boost economies of small developing countries. The case of Costa Rica illustrates how global value chains in services can enable small developing countries to be significant actors in twenty-first century trade and investment patterns, as well as the challenges to...
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...
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...
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...
This guide helps businesses take advantage of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. The agreement simplifies customs procedures, allowing businesses to become more competitive. This jargon-free guide explains the provisions with a focus on what businesses need to know to take advantage of the...
A survey of 600 exporters and importers in Tunisia shows that 80% face difficulties with non-tariff measures, which generate extra costs for companies. Tunisian firms face barriers such as burdensome conformity assessment procedures, quotas and complicated rules of origin. There are also procedural...
This is the first training guide that helps tea farmers and factories lower their emissions and reduce energy costs. It was created with the Ethical Tea Partnership, the Rainforest Alliance and FLOCERT using a Kenya Tea Development Agency factory as a pilot case. Climate change is already having an...
Small firms in developing countries are using social media to find new clients and generate trade. This guide advises on how to develop a successful social media strategy with a tight budget. Using real business cases and the latest ways to measure the real-time impact of social media campaigns,...
Private sustainability standards can be an effective tool to foster sustainable development. This paper outlines conditions for sustainability and potential obstacles. Private sustainability standards can bring benefits to producers and the supply chain. This literature review analyses why the...
