Market Data

The Latin America and the Caribbean Marketplace Explorer is the first tool to analyse the sale of goods on retail e-commerce marketplaces. This free dashboard explores trends in usage from 2019 to 2022, adoption of marketplaces across 33 countries, and country-by-country benchmarking. The tool covers visitor traffic and other main characteristics of almost 900 marketplaces and 2,900 marketplace websites. 

The COVID-19 pandemic altered shopping habits and business models, especially for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises across the region. E-commerce showed unprecedented growth as businesses and consumers turned to digital channels.  

However, a lack of timely data to monitor trends in both domestic and international e-commerce marketplaces may hinder the ability of governments and businesses to formulate appropriate strategies to promote the digital economy and trade. 

This innovative dashboard was developed by the ecomConnect team at the International Trade Centre (ITC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-ECLAC), and the Centre for Market Insights of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. The Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) also supported the development.

This study follows previous efforts by ITC to map online marketplace activity in Africa with the first version of the Africa Marketplace Explorer launched in 2020. 

This publication analyses the Latin America and Caribbean marketplace landscape. This document describes the main characteristics of online platforms in the region, their distribution across countries, and traffic evolution from 2019 to 2021. This data is combined with country-level indicators to study structural determinants of marketplace activity. 

LegaCarta helps public and private decision-makers understand how key multilateral trade conventions and model laws impact the national legal environment and helps them make informed decisions in terms of ratification or adhesion. This tool is offered as part of ITC’s strategic objective of supporting policymakers in integrating their business sectors into the global economy.

LegaCarta covers key trade multilateral conventions on issues such as contracts, customs, dispute resolution, environment, finance, illicit trade, intellectual property, investment, transport and telecommunications. It includes over 300 legal maps, the full text of 244 multilateral trade instruments, explanatory notes for each instrument, updated tables of ratifications and with subscription, country analysis profiles and technical assistance.

It is country-based, with detailed systematic analysis of a country’s position, strengths and weaknesses regarding multilateral treaties.

TOAM: a tool to identify and tackle trade barriers

ITC’s Trade Obstacles Alert Mechanism (TOAM) reports and tackles trade barriers faced by small and medium-sized businesses.
 

How can the Trade Obstacles Alert Mechanism work for you?

• Report and inform: Companies can report online the obstacles they face when exporting or importing.
• Dispatch automatic alerts: National authorities and trade operators will be mutually alerted about the obstacles reported and the responses provided.
• Monitor progress: Policymakers and trade support institutions can access an up-to-date information database on the obstacles  faced by the  private sector and put in place the appropriate policies.

What are the Trade Obstacles Alert Mechanism components?

• An online platform connecting companies and fostering the exchange of information about trade regulations and procedures between the private and public sectors.
• An institutional network ensuring the cooperation of different actors involved in the identification and resolution of problems reported through the online platform.

What are the impacts?

• Improving the business environment and regional economic integration by simplifying the flow of information between the public and private sectors.
• Assisting national and regional authorities in the design of trade facilitation policies.
• Providing the public and private sectors with the trainings and equipment needed to deepen the understanding of regulatory and procedural obstacles.