Regional trade
SME Competitiveness Outlook
The SME Competitiveness Outlook is ITC's flagship report, published annually since 2015. Each report provides an in-depth analysis on a particular topic related to the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - from their contribution to inclusive growth to their participation in regional value chains. The reports combine data analysis, academic insights, thought leader opinions, and case studies to provide guidance for policymakers, business managers, and trade and investment support institutions.
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Tunisia: Increasing knowledge of economic operators on AfCFTA opportunities
Contact
First name
Mondher
Last name
Mimouni
Email
mimouni@intracen.org
Recipients
Sustainable Development Goals
This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
<p>The overall objective of the proposed project is to contribute to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) implementation in Tunisia by increasing the knowledge of economic operators on AfCFTA opportunities. Thanks to a study identifying African value chains to which Tunisian manufacturers can connect in the context of the AfCFTA, policy makers will be able to take informed decisions to maximize the benefits of the continental agreement. In addition, Tunisian stakeholders from the public and private sectors will be sensitized on these opportunities emerging from the AfCFTA, and on the related African Trade Observatory (ATO).</p><p>The project is a continuation to the continental value chains identification and is fully aligned with ITC One Trade Africa initiative.</p>
Type
Project
Funding partners
Date
-
External ID
C147
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ONE TRADE AFRICA: Connecting the African business community with the AfCFTA
Contact
First name
Lily
Last name
Sommer
Email
lsommer@intracen.org
Body
ITC holds AfCFTA Forum in Harare Zimbabwe to engage women entrepreneurs in Southern Africa.
ITC - OTA programme
The African continent is creating the largest free trade area in the world. Once in full operation the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will connect 1.3 billion people across 55 African countries with a combined gross domestic product of $3.4 trillion.
Implementation of the Agreement comes as African countries are grappling with the triple-C crisis of Covid-19, climate change and conflict. This provides African countries with an occasion to reconfigure and diversify their production and trade and prioritize the development of robust and resilient intra-African supply chains.
One Trade Africa
Although the AfCFTA has been operational since 2021, most African businesses are neither informed nor empowered to access market opportunities. Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), especially led by women and youth, need access to information, resources, skills, assets, credit, and economic opportunities.
AfCFTA in figures
ITC - OTA programme
3 programmatic levels of the OTA programme
ITC - OTA programme
“One Trade Africa”, ITC’s corporate programme launched in 2021 sets out to empower and enable African MSMEs, as well as young and women entrepreneurs to access meaningful business opportunities created by the AfCFTA.
The programme is designed to support Africa to advance on ONE coherent framework that encompasses not only the AfCFTA, but also the Regional Economic Community (REC) Free Trade Area Agreements, the building blocks of the AfCFTA, and trade arrangements between Africa and the rest of the world. This is to ensure convergence with a unified goal of boosting the competitiveness of African MSMEs and their participation in both intra- and extra-African trade.
Adapting ITC tools for an integrated African market
The One Trade Africa programme is a critical initiative of the ITC Strategic Plan 2022-2025, broadening opportunities for African small businesses and tailoring ITC tools and services to the African continent through supporting businesses to incorporate Green and Digital Goals.
A look at ITC’s working areas on the AfCFTA.
ITC - OTA programme
A look at the role of MSMEs in Africa’s economy.
ITC - OTA programme
One Trade Africa centres around Africa’s private sector, because it is the key driver for the success of the Free Trade Area. ITC particularly supports small businesses, young entrepreneurs, and women, especially those operating in the informal sector.
One Trade Africa Achievements
ITC - OTA programme
ITC Signs MOU with AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana.
ITC
ITC holds inaugural AfCFTA Forum in Dakar, Senegal to engage West Africa REC.
ITC
ITC supports the 1st Africa Women Trade Conference in Nairobi, Kenya with OWIT Nairobi.
ITC
ITC holds initial AfCFTA workshop in Casablanca, Morocco.
ITC
ITC holds AfCFTA Forum to engage Central Africa REC in Yaounde, Cameroon.
ITC
ITC collaborates with UNDP and UN Women to hold 1st joint AfCFTA workshop in Kampala, Uganda.
ITC
ITC collaborates with UNECA to discuss greening the AfCFTA at WTO Public Forum.
ITC
ITC ED Pamela Coke Hamilton, visits entrepreneurs exhibiting items at the Afreximbank Intra-African Trade Fair.
ITC
Video Playlist
One Trade Africa
14
8 April 2021
Newsletters: Programme Highlights
Publications and Workshop Resources
Implementing partners
Sustainable Development Goals
This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
<p>The African Continental Free Trade (AfCFTA) is now a reality and the International Trade Centre (ITC) <ins cite="mailto:Raphaëlle%20Lancey" datetime="2021-10-04T09:35">is poised</ins> to <ins cite="mailto:Raphaëlle%20Lancey" datetime="2021-10-04T09:35">play a central role in </ins>its i<ins cite="mailto:Raphaëlle%20Lancey" datetime="2021-10-04T09:35">mplementation..</ins></p><p>ITC has developed an umbrella programme, the ONE TRADE AFRICA (OTA) to empower MSMEs, women and youth to access the opportunities unfolding under the new single market. </p><p>OTA is an integrated package of technical assistance solutions that ITC is offering to the African business community operating in both the formal and informal sectors to enable them to understand the opportunities of the AfCFTA and to build the capacity of enterprises and entrepreneurs to export across Africa and beyond. </p><p><br></p>
Type
Programme
Open data portal link
Funding partners
Date
-
External ID
C088
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AfCFTA: Identifying sustainable regional value chains at continental scale
Contact
First name
Ursula
Last name
Hermelink
Email
hermelink@intracen.org
Implementing partners
Sustainable Development Goals
This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals, as defined by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
<p>The overall objective of the proposed project is to attract investment and promote trade and sustainable industrial and business development at continental level, concretely supporting the AfCFTA Secretariat and the African Union and delivering on the Africa-EU partnership for sustainable growth and jobs. </p><p>The project contributes to this objective by</p><ul><li>identifying trade and investment opportunities along regional value chains with potential at continental scale in Africa, including potential for investment by EU economic operators;</li><li>Strengthening the EU-Africa dialogue on trade and economic integration, informing high-level events such as the upcoming AU-EU Summit and European- African Business Forum (EABF)</li><li>identifying pilot/selected continental value chains that could be targeted for support in the EU 2021-27 aid programming exercise.</li></ul><p>It supports the implementation of the AfCFTA and ITC's One Trade Africa Initiative.</p>
Type
Project
Open data portal link
Funding partners
Date
-
External ID
C087
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