Foreign Trade Representation

ITCs Foreign Trade Representation (FTR) programme is aimed at trade representatives, diplomats, and managers of overseas trade offices who work in developing countries, least developed countries or countries in transition. The FTRs events and consultancies focus on four major areas: Networks, Strategies, Services, and Management. Networks : Why and how internal and external trade support networks need to be strongly interconnected. How to tap resources offered by networks of institutions, companies, people, as well as virtual networks.

Strategies: Linking FTR with national export strategies and other strategies (e.g. investment, tourism, etc). How to define clear priorities in terms of the nature of clients to be targeted by FTR, export products and services, market segments and market entry strategies. Carrying out product and market selection exercises. Using online market analysis tools in practice sessions. Services: Assessing the needs of target users. Comparative advantages of FTR. Seeking service specialization between overseas FTR offices and headquarters. Helping FTR develop a strong service portfolio.

Management: Looking into the daily operation of FTR offices and developing clear terms of reference. Using templates, checklists and other tools. Managing the entire FTR network. Using CRMs and other information systems. Advisory Services Advisory missions are a key part of FTRs work. They enable ITC to assess the strengths and weaknesses of national FTR networks and provide targeted advice to them. These initiatives involve examining the institutional context in which trade representatives operate, their terms of reference, the diverse tools they are using (guidelines, templates, information systems, work processes), as well as their coordination and evaluation mechanisms. Advisory missions are best undertaken in combination with and if possible ahead of - possible training events. In 2010, advisory missions took place in Indonesia, Algeria, and Paraguay. They led to the formulation of detailed recommendations at the network level, and to the design of training programmes to be implemented on a regular basis for new staff to be posted abroad with trade representation functions.

Generating business leads

Business partnerships and alliances are built on contacts and trust. The most effective way to foster these relationships is to bring together potential trading partners. In such a forum, the businesses can exchange information, knowhow and best practices. Information An increasing number of regional as well as national trade and business promotion organizations understand that in order to be more effective they need to get closer to the level of interaction between buyers and sellers of goods and services. To find out more and to access online resources, please expand this section. Bringing together buyers and sellers of goods and services has many benefits:

Buyers/sellers meetings provide a means to transform political intentions promoting South South trade into economic reality as trade is actually generated during the event. These meetings are multifaceted and versatile trade promotion tools as they cover imports and exports of goods and services, as well as investment opportunities in the South South context. The meetings demonstrate, through the volume of business generated, the untapped potential for South South trade. Trade and business promotion organizations gain credibility among the constituencies

Buyers/sellers meetings are most useful at regional levels where trade among member countries is rather low, but the potential for trade expansion is considerable. The meetings are a cost-effective way to bring together trading enterprises from different countries. Businesses can quickly make the right contacts without major travel expenses. Organizations find that participating in buyers/sellers meetings benefit them in other ways as well. The meetings encourage networking between like-minded institutions in different countries. This allows them to continue to work together to promote business among the enterprises. The meetings also provide these organizations with a potential income-generating activity, and a highly visible service for its members. Finally, in preparation for the meetings, the organizations conduct supply and demand surveys, giving them an insight into a specific sector of their countrys economy. This enhances the credibility of these organizations as an important partner in the policy dialogue with their governments. In this is of interest to you, the Promoting Regional Trade section of this website may be of interest.

Data and Research ITC has conducted more than 1,000 supply and demand surveys since the inception of its South-South Trade Programme in 1987. Those surveys cover sectors including: food and agro-processed food; textile

and clothing; wood and furniture; pharmaceuticals and natural products; humanitarian relief items; and leather and leather products. More than 5000 worldwide company profiles have been produced as a result of the surveys, and more than 100 buyers/sellers meetings have been held. The average business transactions generated during these events have reached over five hundred million USD. ITC assists organizations in preparing and hosting buyers/sellers meetings. Most of the meetings are elements in integrated programmes for intra or inter-regional trade expansion, while others are tailormade arrangements in support of ad hoc trade promotion events. Advisory Services The participants of the buyers/sellers meetings will make recommendations to the trade and business promotion organizations. It is important that the organizer, in cooperation with the relevant national and regional institutions, act on the recommendations. Direct follow up activities can consist of, for example, study tours and marketing missions to exporting and importing countries. In some cases a need is identified for further product and market development work at the enterprise level, which could require a complementary but separate programme activity.

Evaluating trade credit applications

ITC works with Business Associations and TSIs to enable them to reach a maximum of SMEs. We assist financial Institutions with improving and facilitating credit assessment as well as with enlarging their range of tailored SME products. Through partnerships at the regional and international level, we create a coordinated response to the trade finance challenges faced by SMEs, leveraging ITCs tools and services. Information ITC provide an online loan assessment tool, LOANCOM, to assist those who lend money to SMEs. Expand this section to find out more and also to access selected relevant publications. LOANCOM, short for Loan for Competence, is ITCs online decision support system for financial institutions who lend to SMEs. It guides financial institutions in evaluating an SMEs real potential by assessing its management competencies as well as traditional financial parameters. A tailored online application is developed with each financial institution and this can easily be integrated into the financial institutions intranet and information systems.

For each applicant, loan officers complete an online questionnaire containing targeted questions about the loan applicants financial and non-financial competencies. Based on this input, the software automatically generates a report highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the applicant, as well as recommendations on how to proceed with the loan request. Development banks, commercial banks, Trade Support Institutions and Microfinance Institutions can benefit from this software.

Advisory Services The ITCs Trade Finance for SMEs Programme outlines what can be done to support SMEs in their work. It does this by addressing four key issues:

Enhancing financial institutions understanding of SME needs, their ability to evaluate projects potential and related risks, and to monitor the performance of loan recipients Coordination with other organizations (such as regional development banks) to mobilize longterm credit and guarantee lines dedicated to SMEs Broaden the range and availability of financial services tailored to SMEs Improve SME financial managers skills, in particular to strengthen their financial soundness and ability to submit bankable projects

Offering Trade Information Services for TSIs

ITC aims to create new, as well as enhance existing, information services offered by Trade Support Institutions (TSIs). We help them to manage and deliver efficient trade information services leading to the improved competitiveness of SMEs on international markets.

ITC's Trade Information Services (TIS) team partners with Trade Support Institutions by providing technical advice, training programs, market information resources and web-based solutions for effective trade intelligence gathering and dissemination. Information Operating a trade information service Guidelines for the operation of WTO reference centres Selling business information and related services Market information service checklist Performance measurement for trade information services Annual trade information training programme (ed. 2010)

Advisory Services We provide a variety of advisory services to TSIs in order to enable them to improve their information services provision. Such as: Formulation of operational plans to set up trade information services within TSIs Diagnosis of TSIs trade information needs, and assessment of existing information service capacities to meet such needs

Development of technical and operational infrastructures for TSIs, including website and trade information design and production Implementation of effective information processing, management, monitoring and delivery processes Selection and acquisition of relevant trade intelligence material

Promoting Regional trade

The international community is paying more attention to the new geography of international economic relations. South-South trade flows, which are the fastest growing segment of world trade, are increasing at more than 10% per annum and they now represent more than 40% of all trade by developing countries. Information

The ITC Business Generation programme aims at facilitating intra and interregional trade and cooperation by improving the abilities of Trade Support Institutions to organize South-South matchmaking events in key export sectors. This programme generates new trade and investment transactions between enterprises in developing countries and transition economies. In June 1999, ITC launched the South-South Trade Promotion initiative. The programme is designed to use trade expansion as an effective vehicle for regional economic integration. Its objective is to identify trade and investment opportunities in the South, both at intra and inter-regional levels, and to convert them into business transactions. The ITC Business Generation programme follows a four-step methodology to identify trade and investment opportunities and translate them into business transactions. This is done by bringing importers and exporters together. The four steps are:

Trade flow analyses that identify import, export and related investment opportunities across groups of countries. Supply and demand surveys that document market characteristics in order to identify opportunities and potential clients through field research on a product and country basis Buyers/sellers meetings which serve as platforms for companies to conduct business transactions and take advantage of the identified opportunities. Follow-up actions at enterprise, institutional and government level aims at sustaining southsouth business links

Trade Advisor Certification

ITCs Certified Trade Advisers Programme (CTAP) is designed to improve the availability, quality and sustainability of national export advisory services. The goal of the programme is to create or mobilize an existing network of national advisors that can both:

Engage directly with small businesses to accelerate their export readiness, or Serve as a virtual network of export consultants for local trade support institutions, NGOs and international donors.

Participants in the programme can become ITCs Export Management Development (EMD) Certified Advisers and Trainers Information To access resources related to CTAP, please expand this section. The following tools are available on CD. To find out more. Compass Software Tool - To design and plan competitive business strategies Snapshot Software Tool - To conduct business diagnostics in order to determine SMEs strengths and weaknesses in the areas of strategy, production, marketing, export transactions, and information & communication technologies.

Moving goods across borders

In addition to tariffs and non-tariff barriers imposed by their trading partners, exporters from developing countries often have to tackle domestic constraints, such as weak customs procedures or onerous administrative processes. Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs) suffer disproportionately from these measures. Even while governments and business representatives work together to overcome these challenges, in the longer term, ITCs new trade facilitation programme assists trade support institutions and SMEs in getting their goods across borders faster and cheaper. We do this by facilitating tangible changes that reduce exporting bottlenecks. Information ITCs new trade facilitation programme aims to enable SME exporters in a select group of Least Developed Countries to increase their exports to neighbouring countries by reducing or eliminating trade impediments at the border, both at the point of exit and entry. ITCs Work in Trade Facilitation ITCs Trade Facilitation Programme Strategy 2012-2015 (TFPS) aims to increase the competitiveness of the private sector by building export capacity, reducing trade transaction costs and deepening regional integration through trade facilitation measures.

The TFPS responds to four (4) ITC strategic objectives: Improving the availability and use of trade intelligence by promoting formal cross-border trade through targeted trade facilitation solutions. Enhancing trade support institutions (TSIs) and policies for the benefit of exporting enterprises and trade facilitation service providers, through advice and solutions to comply with established cross border formalities and industry protocols. Strengthening export capacity of enterprises to respond to market opportunities by way of customised trade facilitation measures to meet cross border formalities and overcome nontariff measures and Mainstreaming inclusiveness and sustainability into trade promotion and export development by using trade facilitation measures to create a more enabling business environment for women informal cross borders traders to aid their transition to the formal sector.

Jurys International - Dispute Resolution Centres

Information on commercial arbitration, mediation, conciliation, expertise centres and other alternative dispute resolution centers or services including the full text of their rules and model clauses. Centres by country