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.
International business investors can embed sustainability in each step of their operations. This guide describes the social, environmental and economic practices that international firms must understand when entering a new market.
This is a national companion guide to the publication The Business Guide for Sustainability in Foreign Investments. The companion guide presents an overview of Ethiopia’s environmental and social regulations for investment operations in agroprocessing and light manufacturing. It also provides...
The question of how standards impact trade is more relevant than ever. Against the background of a world economy that is global in scope and organization with economic activities being spread across national boundaries, the liberalization of trade has been one factor contributing to a policy shift...
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...
A review of trade flows, value chain, sustainability, illegality and animal welfare of the trade in South-East Asian python skins. The paper analyses reported trade in python skins, the added value at each stage from hunting to retail and likely areas of illegal activity (smuggling, false...
Coffee is the world's most important agricultural crop in terms of trade volumes; it is exported by 60 countries and is one of the few major commodities grown predominantly by smallholder farmers. This report: presents an overview of the market trends for coffee certified as ‘sustainable’ over...
This report identifies how World Trade Organization negotiators and signatories can mainstream gender considerations through the negotiations on Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD). It examines policies and regulations that can encourage investment that attracts women-owned businesses and...
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...
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...
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 report supports the World Trade Organization (WTO) Informal Working Group on Trade and Gender by offering an analytical framework outlining trade and trade-related impacts on women (and men) through the employment, consumption and public provision channels. It presents a step-by-step approach...
