Information and communications technologies (ICTs) give them opportunities to trade goods and services more efficiently and reach new markets.
BUYERS/SELLERS CYBERCAFÉS: This Internet tool assists participating companies at ITC buyers/sellers meetings. It is also of interest to trade promotion organisations and researchers, in their search for regional information.
Cybercafés reflect regional and national sources of statistical data, market, contact, legal and events information. They include trade statistics, country profiles, industry surveys, company directories, standards and regulations, and supply and demand surveys.
Country maps: Country maps benchmark the trade performance, by sector, of 184 countries and territories, through analytical tools, such as Trade Performance Index and National Export Performance, and provides an assessment of the reliability and characteristics of national trade statistics.
E-PROCUREMENT: The "Buying from Africa for Africa" initiative helped African firms to meet the procurement requirements of international aid agencies. A computerised trade flow analysis identified the export potential for product areas.
Supply surveys were then conducted and suppliers and international agencies met at a number of buyers/sellers meetings. As a direct result, many African firms took large orders.
With the United Nations annual procurement budget at US$ 850 million, there is room for expansion.
ITC has also implemented e-procurement methodologies to improve the efficiency and transparency of public procurement in Guinea-Bissau. By linking five procuring ministries to a reliable information technology infrastructure, ITC reduced errors and transaction time and facilitated information flows at all stages of the procurement process.
EXPORT READINESS DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR SERVICES FIRMS: This tool assists small service export firms to assess their readiness to export. This online, interactive tool provides suggestions on areas to improve and determines the markets for which the firm is most suited.
EXPORT SME: This web-based tool assesses companies' export potential and answers the question, could/should we export?
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS: ITC launched a new project to enhance the international competitiveness of women entrepreneurs in Cameroon by taking advantage of available information technologies and networks to expand their business at the regional and international levels.
GOURMET COFFEE AUCTION ON THE INTERNET: ITC held the world's first Internet coffee auction in December 1999. Ten Brazilian coffees, selected in a national competition, were offered at auction to 23 bidders from four continents.
The coffee producers obtained higher prices, reflecting the higher quality obtained from care at all levels of growing and processing. The Internet auctions are now a strong e-marketplace for small producers, who used Internet technology to create a seller' market in an area traditionally dominated by the buying power of multinationals. Since the first auction, three more countries have started holding similar auctions, with more likely to follow.
MARKET ACCESS MAP: This is a database of the major instruments of protection at the most detailed product level. It also covers most bilateral preferential arrangements.
It measures the market access for over 200 exporting countries and territories in 165 countries at the tariff level as of 2002, and can be applied to any geographical area or sector.
NEED SME: This web-based tool diagnoses weak areas in a firm's overall management, in its achievement of business objectives, and in its strategic orientation.
ONLINE TRADE INFORMATION REFERENCE SYSTEM: ITC's Online Trade Information Reference System helps trade support institutions deliver reliable information services.
It bridges information gaps in many developing and transition economies by providing online access to databases of references and links to over 15,000 trade information sources and specialised bibliographies.
PRODUCT MAPS: They comprise 72 industry sectors covering 5,000 products. By selecting a product, a user can view a ranking of the leading importing/exporting countries, or access trade performance indicators for a product.
TRADE MAP: This statistical import and export database presents the structure and trends of world trade for 5,800 products in 185 countries, allowing users to sift through data to develop marketing strategies.
TRADE PORTAL EVALUATION TOOL AND CONTENT ROADMAP: The tool helps to plan trade portals by establishing objectives and suggesting content. It helps evaluate existing portals through a web-based questionnaire.
ONLINE GATS CONSULTATION KIT: The General Agreement on Trade in Services (CATS) is the first multilateral trade agreement to cover trade in services. To help trade support institutions to advocate on behalf of their service sectors, ITC produced the online CATS Consultation Kit.
The kit highlights the domestic impact of CATS since 1995 and details national schedules related to service liberalisation.
PLAN SME: Firms can use the Plan SME software and manual to build strategic business plans, identify the required business capabilities and manage export transactions.
New business opportunities: Technologies open up completely new product and service niches.
Back office operations, manufacturing high-tech components, web site management and distance learning are some of the opportunities firms in developing countries have been exploiting.
REGIONAL E-BUSINESS FORUMS: The regional E-business Forums concentrate on exploiting emerging e-business opportunities and applying new technologies to promote trade.
The first E-business Forum took place in Kathmandu in October 2003, with other meetings in Latin America and Eastern Europe to follow.
Creating the e-trade environment: A national e-trade strategy is essential to help firms apply "e".
E-COMMERCE LEGAL KIT: Firms, legal practitioners and trade development professionals will find tools, information and training materials on the operational legal aspects of e-commerce.
The kit features three question-and-answer guides, an e-law reference library, sample contracts and PowerPoint presentations on a CD-ROM.
E-OPPORTUNITY ASSESSMENT TOOL: This diagnoses a firm's e-readiness and helps determine how to improve business processes using JCT. The firm can assess its capability to use ICT and identify areas of untapped potential.
JURIS INTERNATIONAL: This open-access legal database contains 150 model contracts and 300 international conventions used in international trade. It gives users access to key provisions of the WTO agreements and to explanatory texts especially intended for the business community.
Courtesy International Trade Forum