Publications

This summary provides highlights of how small businesses can rebuild from the pandemic in a way that helps them face climate change – and how governments, business support organizations and lead firms in international value chains can support them through the Green Recovery Plan.

African tech hubs play an important role in building fledgling entrepreneurial ecosystems and helping start-ups, but they struggle to earn revenue and become financially sustainable. This report, based on interviews with dozens of hubs across Africa, examines what hubs do, how they make an impact...

While more than 40% of existing trade strategies identify trade integration and regionalism as crucial policy areas, less than 3% of the strategies are regional. Nor do they fully build on diversification opportunities in services and manufacturing.This is one of many trends in trade strategies,...

Hungarian SMEs account for 99.8% of enterprises, 70% of employment, 50% of value added and 28% of its exports to the European Union.

Trade promotion pays - both in export and GDP growth, according to this ITC report. The way trade promotion agencies are managed also changes their impact on a country’s prosperity.For every dollar of export promotion invested in a national trade promotion organization (TPO), there are $87 of...

The SME Competitiveness Outlook argues that small and medium-sized firms are the ‘missing link’ to inclusive growth.

Greater access to information about export opportunities is essential for determining SME export success.SMEs which participate in international trade are more productive than those which do not. Integration into global and regional markets is thus likely to help close the productivity gap between...

This case study of a Chinese solar panel producer investigates the role of services in manufacturing value chains, and highlights the effect of government policies on photovoltaic industry development and international trade flows. Up to 40 types of services are required to manufacture solar panels,...

Deeper regional integration goes hand in hand with strengthening processing industries and the internationalization of SMEs.Trade integration within and among regions of African, Caribbean and Pacific Island groups are measured in this study. Regions with the fastest trade integration over the last...

A survey of 600 exporters and importers in Tunisia shows that 80% face difficulties with non-tariff measures, which generate extra costs for companies. Tunisian firms face barriers such as burdensome conformity assessment procedures, quotas and complicated rules of origin. There are also procedural...

To be part of value chains dominated by large global players, small and medium-sized enterprises need a sound business environment, ready access to finance, and institutional support to reach new markets and to defend their interests.

The right mix of national trade policy and regulations can give businesses export competitiveness and a jump-start in global value chains. This guide brings together the combination of policy instruments to lift export competitiveness: tariffs and non-tariff measures; trade facilitation initiatives;...