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.
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.
<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>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>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>
<p>Trade and exports are an important pathway for women to improve firm performance. E-commerce has opened up a new, more efficient way to connect producers and merchants to customers around the country and world, and has shown promise in helping small businesses who are challenged with reaching regional and international markets</p><p>The overall purpose of the project is to increase exports of women-led SMEs from Lebanon through Virtual Market Places as a new effective channel to expand export markets and benefit from new business opportunities. The ultimate objective is to create new jobs, particularly for women, and to ensure more inclusive and sustainable social and economic development. </p><p>The project will train and create a core group of 20 e-commerce advisors (majority women) that will provide coaching and advisory services to 125 women-led SMEs so that they use the VMPs as an effective way to promote and sell their products and services.</p>
<p>The project aims at creating jobs and generating stable income in the craft sector for women and youth artisans, thus contributing to social stabilization and economic development of the region. A market driven approach will be used in order to enable Lebanese craft products gain a better share of the mid-range to high-end home furnishing, home décor, and handicrafts markets. Specialized skills and competencies of Syrian and Lebanese craftsmen coming from different regions will be used to reach out to a maximum number of young women and men, including in remote areas of the country.</p>
<p>Lebanon - Export Sector Competitiveness Project aims to contribute to increase diversification of Lebanon’s economy reducing its vulnerability to commodity market shocks, by benefiting from trading opportunities and improved competitiveness in priority sectors. It will reach this objective through increasing competitiveness and export readiness of companies in the two important sectors - IT and nuts` processing as well as building capacities of national TSIs. At the end of the intervention, it is expected that at least 20 companies will commence or expand their international sales, especially tapping into business opportunitites in the booming regional markets.</p>
ITC’s work in the Middle East and North Africa regions includes encouraging the exports of textiles and clothing to promote employment and income generation throughout the value chain. This includes focusing on institutional infrastructure and policy as well as product diversification, digitalization and e-commerce, social and environmental sustainability and gender inclusivity.
