The Latin America (LA) region
displays a high-level of sophistication in its requests for export assistance,
and ITC responds with tailor-made approaches to specific problems. The export
industry needs to be more diversified, to incorporate higher added value, and to
orient towards fast-growing products and services. Countries in the region have
made great efforts to liberalize their economies and integrate into the world
trading system including through bilateral and multilateral agreements.
In order to reach these
objectives over the medium- to long-term, ITC’s work is concentrated on the
following key areas.
Strengthening
the capacities of export development service providers
Sectoral trade support institutions have a long history in the region. ITC’s
work aims to consolidate partnerships with established Trade Promotion Organizations
(TPOs) to disseminate its services and strengthen the newer networks to share
best practices from the region. This
work is combined with technical assistance to TPOs and other trade support institutions
that need to improve their effectiveness. For example, a new project in Peru’s
Northern Corridor will strengthen the capacities and efficiency of TSIs providing
services to agribusiness exporters, and improve coordination between public and
private sectors at the national and regional level. Other projects include:
- The upgrade and development of the APEX-Brazil Trade
Intelligence Unit.
- The Modular Learning System on supply chain
management in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, and Peru.
- Regional training activities for trade
representation and networking in Mexico and Paraguay.
- The Non-Tariff Measures project in Paraguay, Peru
and Uruguay with the aim to improve the information TSIs have on non-tariff
barriers and their capacity to support their exporters.
The Ibero-American network of TPOs offers an example of a potent
channel through which service providers in the region cooperate.
Regional
Presence
ITC’s new regional office in Mexico City, to be opened in 2011, will be
an important vehicle for strengthening the capacities of export development
service providers. The regional office could further serve as a catalyst for
the different technical, and often subject specific, networks ITC has developed
in the region over the years.
Enhance SME
capacity to define and implement strategies for new and innovative sectors
Many exporters in Latin America share common trade challenges including
improving the international competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
by adding value to traditional export products, upgrading production processes,
improving quality control, entering service markets, and analyzing market
trends. ITC’s strategy focuses on facilitating SME participation in regional
networks and global supply chains while improving their capacity to anticipate
demand and target new markets for value added products and skill based
services. For example, the new Biotrade project draws on the competitive
strengths of SMEs in the biotrade and pharmaceutical markets, creating
opportunities for SMEs engaged in biodiversity based businesses.
Furthering the Millennum Development Goals and attending to the
region’s persisting inequalities will be essential to ITC’s overall strategy. We
will work towards this through nurturing the capacities of TSIs and enterprises
to reduce poverty, generate employment for disadvantaged groups, and deliver
effective services to constituents. One example is the Women and Trade
Programme (Empowering Women Business Enterprises) for Mexico and Peru. This
programme, building on the success of a Spanish-funded project in Peru, will
help women exporters of Alpaca wool products establish sustainable business
relationships with US buyers. Another example is the project on CARIFORUM
Creative industries, which will promote the sector as a viable contributor to
export diversification.