ITC provides a wealth of information and resources on trade for businesses in developing countries. The tools below (some of them joint projects with other organisations, such as the WTO, UNCTAD, World Bank Group, are intended to explore and facilitate trade with other countries.
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We provide tailored support, aligned with national objectives, to grow trade opportunities for micro, small and medium businesses in developing countries.
ITC EuroMed project aims at increasing trade opportunities in the region.
The EuroMed countries of Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia and Turkey form one of the least economically integrated regions in the world, with their 2020 share of exports representing less than 4% of all exported goods in the world.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, those exports fell by 15% compared to 2019, and dropped by almost 40% in April and May 2020. However, ITC data shows the potential for trade in goods in the region could reach $25 billion by 2025.
In 2017, ITC’s EuroMed Trade and Investment Facilitation Mechanism launched the EuroMed Trade Helpdesk online platform to provide trade in goods data at both product and market levels, market access conditions, trade statistics, business, institutional contacts, and to allow businesses to address their questions to relevant authorities.
Enhanced EuroMed Trade Helpdesk
In 2022, the Enhanced Euromed Trade Helpdesk launch will provide a wider national network to address user’s questions and cover trade in services and investment related statistics. New features will include export potential indicators, rules of origin at product level, and official Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) notifications to the WTO.
We will also conduct small and medium sized businesses surveys to identify obstacles faced by companies and allow entrepreneurs to share with policymakers their import-export concerns, and hold trainings on market analysis and on the EuroMed Trade Helpdesk.
ITC’s EuroMed Trade and Investment Facilitation Mechanism project responds to these countries’ needs to build stronger trade ties.
<p>The Euromed Trade and Investment Facilitation Mechanism project (TIFM) phase II builds on the success of phase I, implemented by ITC between Jan. 2014 and Jun. 2017. </p><p>On 30<sup>th</sup> June 2017, ITC launched the Euromed Trade Helpdesk, an online tool and problem-solving network enhancing regional trade transparency. In March 2018, Trade Ministers from the Mediterranean region endorsed the Helpdesk as a pioneering tool for comprehensive regional trade intelligence. During the first 3 years of its existence, the Helpdesk attracted more than 34,000 users who accessed transparent and reliable market information. </p><p>Following positive feedback and requests for more information and engagement, ITC designed TIFM II to include more data, covering investment and trade in services, to deepen the understanding of trade obstacles in the region, and to strengthen the sustainability and ownership of the initiative.</p><p>ITC will implement this new phase in collaboration with public and private sectors in Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia, providing support by fostering regional trade integration, reducing risks within global value chains, and addressing COVID-19 challenges.</p>
<p>The overall MENATEX programme consists of 5 sub-projects. It supports four countries in the Middle East and North African region (MENA region), namely Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia as well as contains a regional component, which is covered under this project. . The programme intends to increase the countries’ export competitiveness in the T&C sector as well as develop linkages among the four countries. </p><p> The regional component, which is covered by this project, will consist of five elements, which will reinforce the activities and envisaged achievements at the country level:</p><p><span>·<span> </span></span>increase regional trade of T&C products, including for intermediate products to foster the development of a regional supply chain</p><p><span>·<span> </span></span>support the development of a joint approach to promote North Africa as a sourcing destination.</p><p><span>·<span> </span></span>Facilitate collaboration, and exchange of experiences and best practices in addressing gender and youth aspects. </p><p><span>·<span> </span></span>support the joint participation in regional trade fairs. </p><p><br></p>
<p>The objective of this project is to enhance the functionalities and effective use of Trade Facilitation Portals by beneficiary countries with a view to create a more conducing cross-border environment for traders through improved transparency and simplified trade formalities.<span> This project builds upon ITC - UNCTAD longstanding partnership in the area of trade facilitation and creates opportunities for further build synergies across the agencies' respective technical assistance offering.</span></p>
<p>This project is targeting women owned businesses (WOBs) in the Apparel, Accessories and Home Décor sector from Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Senegal, and South Africa.<span> It</span> aims to support income generation and job creation for women owned businesses in the Apparel, Accessories and Home Décor sector by:</p><ul type="disc"><li>Creating a more supportive ecosystem of partners and institutions to help the growth of women's economic empowerment initiatives and activities;</li><li>Increasing the competitiveness of women owned businesses in the sector;</li><li>Creating new market linkage<strong> </strong>opportunities for women owned businesses in the sector.</li></ul>
<p><strong>Impact: The project </strong><strong>will contribute to boost Jordanian SMEs competitiveness to export innovative and high quality BPO services for current and new targeted markets by: </strong></p><p>Outcome: Increased participation of both refugees and Jordanian SMEs in global value chain for business process outsourcing.</p><p>- Output (1): Market linkages creation for Jordanian SMEs in the BPO sector, which in turn source from refugees and Jordanian youth organized as self-help groups;</p><p>- Output (2): Business and production skills development for BPO among Syrian refugees and Jordanian youth in Amman; and</p><p>- <span lang="EN-US">Output (3) micro-enterprises connection international BPO and value chains.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US">ITC will partner with a selected group of Jordanian entrepreneurs and/or enterprises to deploy a market development programme that is in line with the sector needs involving specific inputs from Syrian refugees to integrate and strengthen existing BPO services export value chains.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US">The project activities will take place in Jordan and the Za'atari Syrian Refugees Camps.</span></p><p><br></p>
<p>The project aims to respond to the COVID crisis and the recent increase in demand for e-commerce due to the lockdowns in most MENA countries and the social distancing requirements that should last longer than the lockdowns. Retail businesses are struggling to find a way to reach customers and retain sales during this crisis.</p><p>The project will aim to support this challenge by offering women-led SMEs in MENA an opportunity to learn, in English, French and Arabic, about the fundamentals of doing business via e-commerce, managing logistics and utilizing digital marketing channels. These e-learnings will be delivered through a short series of webinars and facilitated, interactive online deep dive clinics.</p>
