Historias

ITC launches new training guide for trade representatives (en)

15 mayo 2014
ITC Noticias

The International Trade Centre’s (ITC) training guide for foreign trade representatives – the only one of its kind in the world – has been updated and revised, and is now available online for free.

Entering New Markets: A Guide for Trade Representatives’ compiles good practices and guidelines, explaining how trade officials can promote trade abroad within the context of national trade policy and export strategies.

‘This guide responds to the expressed priorities of trade support institutions,’ said ITC Executive Director Arancha González. ‘With topics ranging in scope from national development planning to trade-promotion event management, office security or what to do when assigned to a new country, the book provides a strategic overview and serves as a hands-on guide.’

Foreign trade representatives balance competing demands and multiple reporting lines. This book advises on setting priorities for markets, industries and clients. It covers services such as export intelligence, trade displays, trade and buyer missions, investment promotion and market entry strategies. It also explains aspects of managing an office, building networks and using modern communications services.

Set in the context of current global economic realities, the guide takes into account globalization and its effects on trade and employment, changes in the multilateral trading system, as well as the rise in bilateral and regional agreements, increasing Internet use and instant communication. It provides a set of tools, methods and capacity-building possibilities for trade support institutions in charge of supervising networks of foreign trade representatives.

The guide also serves as a reference for trade support institutions to help them gain a better understanding of the issues faced by their networks of foreign trade representatives.

This is the third edition of the guide – the first was published in 1973, then again in 1993. Research is based on ITC field work, as it is the only United Nations organization offering a training programme for trade representatives.