International Trade Forum articles from January 2000

International Trade Forum archives from January 2000

From the Editor.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... A decade ago, the workings of the world trading system interested only a select few. Today, it attracts growing interest from business, as nearly 90% of world trade is now regulated under WTO Agreements, and most products, services and markets...

Helping Small Firms Join a Knowledge-Based Economy.
January 1, 2000... At the recent UNCTAD X meeting (Bangkok, February 2000), heads of international organizations presented their views on the challenges of globalization for developing countries, and how their organizations respond. Below are ITC's views,...

How Business Leaders View the WTO Agreements for Information Technology.
January 1, 2000... Few industries drive the pace of social and economic change as fast as information technology. World Trade Organization Agreements on Information Technology and Basic Telecommunications Services, conducted in the 1990s, aim to liberalize these...

A Mission for Detectives: Looking for Importers.
January 1, 2000... Perhaps no question is asked more frequently by exporters than "Where and how can I find importers?" Helping businesses to ferret out the response can be a real challenge. A firm grasp of specialized sources is necessary, but it is not enough:...

The World Trading System Business Perspectives for Developing Countries.
January 1, 2000... Reactions to the Third WTO Ministerial Conference in Seattle and the UNCTAD X conference in Bangkok show the growing public interest in -- and backlash against -- globalization. Reflecting globalization's rapid pace, the multilateral trading...

The World Trading System: What's in it for Business?
January 1, 2000... As more and more small and medium-sized firms expand internationally, the abstract concept of a world trading system suddenly takes on a new meaning. Governments, industry associations and firms are all faced with similar questions from...

Small Firms in Developing Countries: Connecting to the Global Economy.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Business perspectives * Dispute settlement Industries initiate dispute claims. * Trade Policy Review Mechanism Good source of marketing information. * Monitoring committees and bodies Note especially the Textiles...

Frequently Asked Questions about the World System.
January 1, 2000... Over the past four years, ITC's World Tr@de Net programme (previously the Uruguay Round Follow-up programme) has delivered nearly 200 seminars in 70 developing and transition economies to brief business and government leaders about the world...

General Agreement on Trade in Services: Opportunities for Developing Countries.(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... One of the most promising areas in trade for developing countries is services, with new negotiations underway from March 2000. This article, based on the ITC publication, Business Guide to the General Agreement on Trade in Services, provides an...

Our Readers Write.
January 1, 2000... From Nepal, a call to encourage trade within regions Your latest issue was very informative. I was delighted to read about the harmonization of business laws by 15 African countries ("African Business Laws on CD-ROM, Internet", Forum 4/99)....

Africa's Export Success.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2000... While Africa faces tremendous challenges on the road to integration into the world trading system, there is more to Africa's trade performance than meets the eye. Many African export sectors have outperformed world market growth. Champions in...

About ITC's Trade Analysis Services.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... ITC has four tools to benchmark national and sectoral trade performance, and assess comparative and competitive advantage. * Trade Performance Index: The Trade Performance Index is a succinct annual assessment of trade performance of 184...

Assistance Fund Targets Francophone LDCs.
January 1, 2000... A new accord between L'Agence de la Francophonie and ITC, signed 10 January 2000, is designed to help francophone least developed countries (LDCs) integrate into the world trading system. The agreement was signed by Roger Dehaybe, head of...

Quality Management Update.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Regional seminars In Cairo, ITC helped create awareness of the business implications of the TBT and SPS Agreements through a regional seminar (October 1999), as part of a UNDP-funded regional project for the Arab Industrial Development and...

Innovation for Poverty Alleviation: ITC Wins World Bank Award.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... ITC was one of 44 winning proposals at the World Bank Development Marketplace Competition for Innovative Ideas for Poverty Alleviation (Washington, D.C., February 2000). The project, "Empowerment of Rural Communities to Export Organic Spices",...

Buyers-Sellers Meeting: Pharmaceutical Companies Meet at UNCTAD X.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... On the occasion of UNCTAD X (Bangkok, February 2000), ITC organized a buyers-sellers meeting among pharmaceutical companies. The meeting was the culmination of extensive preparatory work, starting with trade-flow analyses and followed by...

Forum on Standards Action in the Global Market.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... ITC participated in launching the Forum on Standards Action in the Global Market (November 1999), known as the SGM Forum. The SGM Forum will function as a round table to exchange views on programmes, projects and studies that are completed,...

Study Tours for Managers of National Enquiry Points under JITAP.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... Managers for national enquiry points in the United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Ghana (December 1999) and Benin, Burkina Faso and C[hat{o}]te d'lvoire (January 2000) visited the German Standards Institute, the Belgian Standards...

World's First Internet Coffee Auction a Success.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2000... ITC co-organized the world's first on-line coffee auction, selling Brazilian specialty coffee to bidders around the world via the Internet, from 15 to 17 December 1999. The electronic auction generated excitement among buyers and sellers alike,...

Innovating for Success in the Export of Services: A Handbook.(Review)
January 1, 2000... Innovating for Success in the Export of Services: A Handbook. 84 pages. Handbook on services innovation (identifying unmet needs and designing services for them) as a tool for enhancing export profitability -- approaches innovation as a...

Uruguay Round Agreements Implications for International Trade in Medical Devices.(Review)
January 1, 2000... Uruguay Round Agreements Implications for International Trade in Medical Devices. 157 pages. Analysis of the Uruguay Round trade agreements and their implications for medical device manufacturers and exporters in developing countries -- gives...

How to Evaluate Trade Credit Requests: A Guide for Bankers and the Scorecard: A Risk Analysis Tool.(Review)
January 1, 2000... How to Evaluate Trade Credit Requests: A Guide for Bankers and the Scorecard: A Risk Analysis Tool. 116 pages. Guide on how to assess requests for trade credit from enterprises in developing and transition countries -- deals with basic lending...

Cybermarketing: A Guide for Managers in Developing Countries.(Review)
January 1, 2000... Cybermarketing: A Guide for Managers in Developing Countries: 132 pages. Guide on how to make use of commercial possibilities of the Internet aimed at enterprise managers in developing countries -- reviews fundamental technical concepts and...