Publications

A blueprint for small and medium-sized enterprises Advanced economies have developed highly competitive and innovative e-commerce services, making it simple for small enterprises to set up online stores, transport their goods and receive payments. Although entrepreneurs in developing countries...

Online marketplaces are the dominant form of e-commerce for consumer goods in developed countries. They are also prominent across Africa, offering great potential to serve a new generation of consumers and open opportunities for small entrepreneurs. But little is known about these marketplaces in...

East Africa produces some of the world's most valuable specialty coffees, yet only a small share of profits go to coffee producers. Using case studies from Africa and beyond, the report explores how to get better prices for green coffee beans, learn about branding and develop business partnerships...

This guide shows small garment manufacturers how to cost both traditional and value-added services they can offer their clients. It also shows how to reduce costs while aligning production processes and being better informed when engaging in contract negotiations.

Four services sectors are key to an economic transformation. This report calls them 'connected services.' Transport and logistics, financial services, information and communication technologies, and business and professional services contribute directly to economic growth – with an increasing...

Trade policy for women took an international leap with the Buenos Aires Declaration on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment, endorsed by more than 120 countries at the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference of 2017. This report, produced under the auspices of the International Gender Champions’...

This major business survey shows that almost 80% of small firms that adopted advanced digital tools reported better production efficiency.

Boosting the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in Burkina Faso can make them more resilient to crises, ITC’s SME Competitiveness Survey and COVID-19 Business Impact Surveys find.  Limited access to finance, low certification rates and inadequate infrastructure are...

COVID-19 is reshaping global value chains and policy landscapes. In this brief, leaders from government, business and women’s economic empowerment networks identify key trends and potential scenarios for women in trade. The brief presents nine actions that governments, corporations and the...

Few studies examine information technology and business process management in Africa. This report, based on research and interviews, analyses the tech sectors of 11 African countries and examines enabling factors such as information and communication technology infrastructure, government incentives...

BRICS countries (Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa) have a fast-growing share in global services markets. Improving services regulations and reducing trade costs will help them tap into their potential, especially for high value-added services and digital trade. ...

More than a third of Tanzanian companies have fully or partially resolved trade obstacles in the last six years. Government-led initiatives and regulatory reforms have helped ease exporters’ difficulties.