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ITC Trade and Market IntelligenceNEWSLETTER |
| Enhancing the transparency of global trade and market access |
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| For all latest news, follow us here. |
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Eastern Partnership Trade Helpdesk:
Stakeholder meetings |
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African Trade Observatory: Virtual regional awareness workshops |
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Export Potential Study on foreign direct investment in Lao PDR |
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Launching the Central Asia Trade Intelligence portal |
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Investment Map:
Faster and more intuitive |
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Market Access Map: Now available in Russian |
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Rules of Origin Facilitator at the virtual Global Origin Conference |
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Euromed Trade Helpdesk:
New domain name and other novelties |
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Global Trade Helpdesk: WTO Aid for Trade Stocktaking session |
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Non-Tariff Measures programme: Tanzania and Niger workshops |
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Capacity Building: Sign up for the SME Trade Academy |
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| EASTERN PARTNERSHIP TRADE HELPDESK |
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In close coordination with the Eastern Partnership (EaP) Trade Helpdesk focal points, ITC national officers and the EU, ITC is preparing national stakeholder meetings in each of the six EaP countries. These meetings will assemble key national institutions and partners and inform them of the progress of the project to date and its ongoing plans, and contribute to increasing the visibility of the project. EaP Trade Helpdesk portal |
| The development of the online portal is ongoing, starting with the market information module, which will bring together relevant information for businesses in the region on tariffs, regulatory requirements, voluntary standards and key partners. ITC is working in close cooperation with national authorities and it is currently at an advanced stage of the required market access-related data collection, with full data expected to be collected in time for the portal launch later this year. |
Business Surveys on Non-Tariff Measures |
| ITC has completed the preparatory stage of the NTM Business Surveys. The questionnaires have been updated and adapted to the needs of the six EaP countries. The surveys are expected to start in the third quarter and will aim to identify the key regulatory and procedural obstacles exporters face – especially those hindering regional integration. |
Trade in Services Data Collection and Capacity Building |
| A concept note on capacity building in trade in services data was shared with Georgian stakeholders. A capacity building programme will be conducted on the management of yearly bilateral transport sector data in Georgia. In parallel, the initial assessment of trade in services data collection and dissemination has commenced in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. |
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| AFRICAN TRADE OBSERVATORY |
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Three virtual regional awareness workshops were organized during the first quarter of 2021, targeting Regional Economic Communities (RECs). These activities followed the public release of the beta version of the African Trade Observatory (ATO) online dashboard at the 13th Extraordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government on the AfCFTA held on 5th December 2020. The Member States representatives and officials from the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were briefed on the ATO project and its three modules – Explore, Compare and Monitor. A live demo on the already developed two modules ̶ Compare and Explore ̶ was carried out. Additionally, indicators to be displayed in the third Module (Monitor) and the implementation of the project at the regional level was collectively discussed. As a result, all Member States representatives were encouraged to be more actively involved in the ATO project, and it was agreed that the ATO team would organize regular meetings with RECs to talk about the progress of their respective regions. |
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| EXPORT POTENTIAL ASSESSMENTS |
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| In the context of the EU-funded “ARISE Plus Lao PDR” project in partnership with the Department of Foreign Trade Policy at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Studies team published a report on investment in coffee and wood processing in Lao PDR to support Lao investment promotion actors and potential investors. Given the scarcity of investment data, the report leverages trade data to identify out opportunities driven by Lao PDR’s export potential and tariff advantages in the two sectors. |
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| CENTRAL ASIA TRADE INTELLIGENCE PORTAL |
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In February, the new Central Asia Trade Intelligence (CATI) portal and its features were presented at a special on-line launch event, co-hosted by UNDP and ITC and attended by over 150 representatives of the Governments of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, business and trade support organizations, private sector, as well as international partners active in regional economic integration and trade issues. Find the press release here. The CATI portal is an online tool aimed to enhance export potential and regional integration of Central Asian countries by providing users with essential trade intelligence information. All economic actors will benefit from up-to-date and free online information, which is particularly critical in light of the COVID-19 economic crisis and the need to respond to changes. The portal represents the #NextGen of online services related to trade intelligence and is accessible to companies, business ecosystems and governments in Central Asia and beyond. |
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| Keeping in mind the goal to help Investment Promotion Agencies in identifying priority sectors and competing countries for foreign investments, taking on board the need of companies to identify potential locations for investment abroad, the Investment Map team is happy to share the latest improvements made in this tool dedicated to FDI. Thanks to the feedback of the users of Investment Map beta version, we are pleased to bring to you a better tool to analyse FDI. |
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| FASTER Investment Map has been improved for responsiveness. Thanks to newly optimised programs, out of the millions of records on FDI flows and stocks, you now get your results faster. MORE INTUITIVE An enhanced user experience allows smoother navigation through FDI data. Query what you would like to see with the combo boxes, and develop your reasoning following the hyperlinks. |
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| Taking into account users' needs, we are currently working on increasing: GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE More countries for more recent years. LEVEL OF DETAIL More data with partner country breakdown, or economic activity… or both! Through their National Statistics Offices and central banks, many countries are cooperating with Investment Map to increase the transparency and comprehensiveness of FDI statistics. |
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| While comprehensive statistics is good, having a clear understanding of what statistics actually capture is equally important. This is why Investment Map is showing more and more “i” linking to metadata. Together with its related FDI statistic, the metadata allows you to fully understand what the figure you are reading covers: a certain territory is exceptionally included, a type of company could not be captured in a particular year? This might be why growth rates look hectic. |
| Raw data is the fuel of analysis. Capitalizing on all the compiled FDI data in Investment Map, our team is working on a FDI attractiveness index to be published this year. Stay tuned! |
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Market Access Map has been translated and is now accessible in Russian language, in addition to English, French and Spanish. The translation covers web user interface, as well as terminology, explanations and glossaries. Therefore, Russian-speaking users from around the world can now benefit from a direct access to Market Access Map tool without a language barrier! |
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| RULES OF ORIGIN FACILITATOR |
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| ITC took part in the virtual Global Origin Conference hosted by the World Customs Organization (WCO) on March 10-12, 2021. It provided a global forum for interactions between leading origin experts from international organizations, governments, business and academia. One of the sessions focused on the future developments and the role of the trade community and customs on a global level in the field of rules of origin. Rules of Origin Facilitator was presented and discussed as a practical inter-organizational initiative to bring transparency on rules of origin and to expand global opportunities under free trade agreements and other preferential regimes. The benefits from ITC business surveys on rules of origin in developing countries as well as preference utilization statistics were additionally highlighted. |
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The new URL to access Euromed Trade Helpdesk allows you to: 1. Access to trade-related information and 2. Benefit from TIFM countries institutional networks to get support through online-submitted enquiries. The website will shortly be redesigned to provide users with new functionalities covering a wider array of trade information while offering a better experience when navigating through the portal. New modules include Investment, Rules of Origin, WTO notifications on Sanitary & Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), untapped potential and trade in services. |
| Euromed Trade Helpdesk Libya |
| ITC jointly with Expertise France, Libya’s Ministry of Economy and Industry, and Libya’s General Union of Chambers of Commerce conducted a workshop on the project that aims to increase trade transparency in Libya through its inclusion to the Euromed Trade Helpdesk. The purposes of this workshop were to remind the stakeholders of the objectives and the value-added of the project for Libya, to present the progress on the data collection and the networking efforts since the launch in May 2020, and to identify and discuss upcoming activities. Representatives of the national stakeholders such as the Director of the Private Sector Development and Investment Department at the Ministry of Economy, the General Director of the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, representatives of the Tax Authority, the Bureau of Statistics and Census, the Export Development Centre and the Head of the Import and Export Department at the Ministry of Economy and Industry attended the workshop. |
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| Global Trade Helpdesk continues to serve businesses and Business Support Organizations around the world with timely and relevant trade and market intelligence. The Global Trade Helpdesk was highlighted as a key tool for SMEs during the recent Trade for an Inclusive Recovery WTO Aid for Trade Stocktaking session. The event explored tools and strategies for SMEs to engage in the nascent global trade recovery. John Denton, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce, highlighted that “in today’s new normal and the need to adapt business strategies for greater resilience, access to markets for SME is crucial, and the Global Trade Helpdesk is a key source of consolidated intelligence for firms.” Eunice Huang, Trade Policy Manager at Google noted that “Global Trade Helpdesk is a great example of when international organizations come together to provide trade intelligence |
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| NON-TARIFF MEASURES PROGRAMME |
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| Non-Tariff Measures stakeholder meeting discusses trade hurdles in Tanzania |
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The International Trade Centre organized a National Stakeholder Meeting on Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) in Tanzania on 10 March 2021. Within the context of the European Union – East African Community Market Access Upgrade Programme (MARKUP), the event brought together around 240 online and in-person attendees in Dar es Salaam. During the workshop, ITC presented the results of the NTM Business Survey in Tanzania followed by a series of roundtable aimed at overcoming the hurdles identified. The survey documented the experiences of over 600 Tanzanian companies with regulatory and procedural obstacles to trade. SPS and TBT regulations, domestic export regulations and procedures were some of the main concerns reported by exporters. Speaking at the event, Prof. Riziki Shemdoe, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, highlighted the key reforms the government has initiated to facilitate trade and business operation. Mr Mondher Mimouni, Chief of ITC’s Trade and Market Intelligence section, pointed out that Tanzania has the potential to increase its exports by over $2 billion in the next five years. However, to realize its full export potential, it is essential to address market frictions such as burdensome NTMs, tedious procedures and lack of information transparency. |
| Public and private institutions in Niger set roadmap of concrete actions
in ICT sector |
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More than half of Nigerien companies providing Information and Communication Technology services to foreign clients face obstacles in their daily operation. To address those hurdles, a workshop organised by ITC in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Promotion of the Private Sector on March 18 gathered 45 online and in-person participants in Niamey. M. Sani Maïgochi, Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy Niger, M. Laouali Labo Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of Niger in Geneva and M. Mondher Mimouni from ITC opened the event. The attendees from the public and the private sectors discussed the NTM Business Survey results and managed to establish 26 concrete actions to overcome obstacles such as tax measures, low institutional support and lack of incentives and procedural obstacles (delays and informal payments, for instance) in Niger. The final document, including the trade challenges identified by 580 Nigeriens exporters interviewed for the survey and stakeholders’ recommendations will be published as part of the ITC series on NTMs. |
| Expanding the Trade Obstacles Alert Mechanism in West Africa |
| Guinea, Sierra Leone, Cabo Verde and Nigeria implemented the Trade Obstacles Alert Mechanism (TOAM). The platform is already set up in eight other West African countries under the ITC’s NTM programme, WACOMP and UKTP. The successfully trained TOAM National Focal Points are in charge of liaising with related institutional networks, ensuring that the information on reported obstacles reach the relevant institutions and that mitigating actions are designed and implemented. Based on user’s feedback, a new and more user-friendly version of the platform is under development by ITC and will be available in the upcoming months. It will integrate the services sectors, simplify obstacles reporting and be embeddable in national websites. Since October 2020, 140 reports were registered and 69 addressed, including 11 concrete actions planned or effective through the current version of the platform. |
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| Global Trade Helpdesk sessions with the World Trade Centre Association |
| In January, the World Trade Center Association, bringing together 320 World Trade Centers in 92 countries, sought to strengthen their collaboration with the multi-agency team, and to organize three training sessions for their members. Over 150 members participated from dozens of countries, and affirmed that the tool would be extremely valuable in helping them simplify their market research, and better serve SME clients. Read the full article here. |
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| Market Access Map and Rules of Origin Facilitator presented to industries from Chinese Taipei |
| ITC presented to 150 exporters and importers in Chinese Taipei two ITC tools focusing on accessing a foreign market (Market Access Map) and utilizing free trade agreements (Rules of Origin Facilitator). The workshop was organized by the Bureau of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and by the Chinese National Federation of Industries. |
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| Workshops raise awareness on NTMs and quality management |
| Two awareness-raising workshops took place in Dar es Salaam in March 2021 to inform stakeholders on key NTM and quality-related issues for exports. The event focused on sourcing information on market access and NTMs, best practices for packaging and branding, and information on export quality management using ITC new “Quality Compass” tool. Difficulties with SPS/TBT regulations and quality standards were among the key challenges identified by exporters in the NTM Business Survey in Tanzania. The first workshop on 11 March 2021 brought together over 200 national stakeholders. The event also marked the launch of the National Quality Association of Tanzania. The second workshop happened on 20 March 2021, gathering 60 members of Tanzania Spices Association (TASPA). The meeting aimed to present the survey findings focusing on the spices sector and get inputs from the ground. ITC also gave an overview of its market analysis tools and showcased quality-related issues. |
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| Free Public Webinars on ITC Tools |
| In February, four free webinars were organised to present ITC's Market Analysis Tools and the importance of informed trade related decisions to a global audience. The webinars, delivered in Enligsh, French, Spanish and Arabic, were very well received and hosted over 550 participants altogether. |
| Trade Intelligence trainings with the University of the West Indies |
| ITC is organising a series of three webinars on building strong SMEs in the Caribbean through trade and market intelligence, in collaboration with the Shridath Ramphal Centre of the University of the West Indies and the Caribbean Export Development Agency. The initiative is running from March to April and envisions to contribute to the creation of business opportunities and targeted policy design in the Caribbean region. |
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| Export Potential workshop in Lao PDR |
| The Export Potential Map team delivered a workshop to twenty-nine (29) trainees from trade policy, export promotion and research institutions in the People’s Democratic Republic of Lao. After attending theoretical sessions and solving practical exercises featuring examples from Lao PDR, the participants are now familiar with ITC’s Market Analysis Tools and in particular the Export Potential Map. The workshop took place in the context of the EU-funded “ARISE Plus Lao PDR” project in partnership with the Department of Foreign Trade Policy at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. |
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| SME TRADE ACADEMY Do not miss next quarter's SME Trade Academy sessions on Trade Map and Market Access Map. |
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| Customs tariffs of 65 countries have been updated for 2021 and are accessible to users through Market Access Map. |
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| Rules of Origin Facilitator |
| Users can now access preliminary product-specific rules of origin of AfCFTA (for 82% of products already agreed) and rules of origin under the new EU-UK trade agreement (Trade and Cooperation Agreement). |
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| Export Potential Map has undergone an extraordinary update in February. It now features new trade data and post-Brexit UK tariffs that have changed market access conditions to the UK for some countries. |
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| 2020 data is now available up until December for over 65 countries, representing 68% of global trade. |
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| International Trade Centre
Palais de Nations
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Telephone: +41 22 730 0111 |
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| Trade and Market Intelligence section
Telephone: +41 22 730 0540
Email: marketanalysis@intracen.org |
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| © 2021 All Rights Reserved |
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