Research and Capacity Building & Publications

Research and Capacity Building & Publications

Examples of ITC’s research and Capacity Building activities

Customized market analysis studies to support TSIs and policymakers with:

• Assessments of national or regional trade performance and trade competitiveness
• Assessments of sectors and markets with export potential
• Identification of opportunities for product or market diversification
• Assessments of participation in regional and global value chains
• Economic modelling of trade policy scenarios

Understanding NTMs

NTMs are of particular concern to exporters and importers in developing countries as they are a major impediment to international trade and can prevent market access. ITC collects official data and business surveys for specific countries.

NTMs, which vary across countries and products, can change quickly and with little notice. Businesses must comply with a wide range of requirements including technical regulations and customs procedures. SMEs in developing countries often lack the information, capabilities and facilities to meet complex NTM requirements at a reasonable cost.

Training module for SMEs to explain for each key measure foreseen in the TFA

What is the policy objective of the measure? What are its key features? What are the benefits for SMEs ? How can the private sector leverage different provisions to improve its competitiveness ?

Trade Facilitation Online

Dedicated web based helpline to answer all implementation related queries from private businesses and border regulatory agencies

How to strengthen public-private dialogue?

Institutionalize the public private dialogue for establishing or strengthening the national Trade Facilitation Committees: implementation guidelines and model ToRs

Implementation Guidelines dedicated to regulatory agencies of developing countries/LDCs

Explain measures in non-legal terms, map issues/steps/means required to implement, explain how to monitor the implementation

 

ITC’s TF related Publications

Making the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Work for SMEs Mainstreaming trade facilitation in SME development strategies This joint ITC, UNESCAP publication provides a succinct overview of articles of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) particularly relevant to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and discuss implementation modalities which could maximize the benefits of the TFA for SMEs. It also suggests that the trade facilitation measures featured in the TFA be mainstreamed in the broader SME development and internationalization initiatives and programmes that may already be in place. The report also highlights the potential role of SME Centres to disseminate information on trade procedures, facilitate SME consultations on trade facilitation matters, and to provide special services for SMEs to participate in ‘preferred customers’ programmes and access single window facilities.

To download this publication please click here. 

TFA Business Guide Following WTO-TFA adoption, ITC published a guide on the Bali package WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement - A Business Guide for Developing Countries  Publication tailored to policy maker and business managers Jargon free explanation ocus on what businesses need to know to take advantage of the agreement Help policy makers identify their TACB needs Guide well received by stakeholders in developing and LDCs Guide already published in French, English, Arabic, Chinese and Russia

To download this publication please click here. 

SMEs AND THE WTO TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT Following WTO-TFA adoption, ITC published the Guide for SMEs on the TFA implementation   Training module tailored for SMEs: explains for each key measure in the TFA describes the policy objective of each measure identifies the key aspects of each measure showcases the accrued benefits for SMEs of TFA measures implementation The guide will be soon available in French and Spanish.

To download this publication please click here. 

TFA Timelines

In May 2014, ITC published another document related to the TFA ‘Timelines’ for implementing the TF Agreement  Objective: helping the regulatory agencies understanding the obligation timeline arising from the TFA Notification of category A provision Information about TA required Specific timelines are laid out for Developed Countries, Developing countries and Least Developed Countries

To download this publication please click here.

Other ITC publications: work in progress

Training module for SMEs to explain for each key measure foreseen in the TFA

• What is the policy objective of the measure?
• What are the key aspects of the measure?
• What are the benefits for SMEs that will accrue from the measure?

Implementation Guidelines dedicated to regulatory agencies of developing
countries/LDCs

• Explain measures in non-legal terms
• Map issues/steps/means required to implement each measure
• Explain how to monitor the implementation of the measure

Strengthening the public-private dialogue

• Model template of TORs to institutionalize the public private dialogue for establishing or strengthening the national Trade Facilitation Committees

Trade Facilitation Online

• Dedicated web based helpline to answer all implementation related queries from private businesses as well as from border regulatory agencies