This report provides a roadmap for regional policy frameworks on trade facilitation to boost intraregional trade. It gives suggestions on how small and medium-sized enterprises could increase their participation in regional value chains and help deepen regional integration. It also shows how the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) partnership strengthens intraregional trade by improving trade facilitation efficiency in terms of strengthening standards, improving cross-border facilities, easing transport, and institution and capacity building.

Author: International Trade Centre

Year: 2017

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Tags: Regional Integration, SASEC, SME, Trade Facilitation Agreement, WTO

This paper -- produced under the E15 Initiative and implemented jointly by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development and World Economic Forum -- seeks to understand the framework of competitiveness and its implications for international trade. It discusses issues related to firm-level competitiveness, including the determinants; quality tools and models to address it, especially in developing economies and small and medium enterprises (SMEs); importance of diffusion and learning with a focus on SME growth; and specific policy interventions to improve firm-level competitiveness.

Author: Sharmila Kantha

Year: 2015

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Tags: Firms, SME, Trade, Development, Sustainability, India, South Asia, Energy

This joint ITC-WTO study discusses constraints faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in international trade, particularly by least developed countries. It reviews how Aid for Trade addresses these challenges through a sample of 23 Diagnostic Trade Integration Studies. Three bottlenecks emerge – quality of business environment, access to finance, and lack of institutional support to overcome trade-related challenges. This study also highlights actions taken by companies to integrate SMEs into their supply chains and concludes with an analysis of recent private sector program evaluations.

Author: International Trade Centre and World Trade Organization

Year: 2014

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Tags: SME, Trade, Private Sector, Small and Medium Enterprises, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Sustainability