Latest content: Trade and economy

Botswana has launched its new five-year export strategy targeted at dynamic and sustainable economic growth, with the help of the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth countries wrapped up two days of deliberations today, with a plan to support micro, small and medium-sized businesses looking to gain a foothold in global markets and supply chains.

Commonwealth countries will gather in Vanuatu this week to explore how small and medium-size businesses can plug into global value chains, and benefit from intra-Commonwealth trade - estimated to reach nearly $2 trillion within 10 years. The activity is part of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda (CCA), adopted by Heads of Government in April 2018 with a view to boosting trade and investment links across the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth has been working alongside two Caribbean agencies on how the region’s business climate can be improved to help entrepreneurs and encourage investment. Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export), in partnership with the Commonwealth and the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA) held a two-day workshop in Barbados running from 9 – 10 April.

An initiative to boost trade by improving digital connectivity in the Commonwealth has got underway in South Africa.

Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has reaffirmed the Commonwealth’s support for the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, while urging deeper collaboration to boost their trade and development potential.

The Gambia is to drive a Commonwealth initiative aimed at ensuring improvements in digital infrastructure underpin economic progress.

Inadequate access to financing, markets and technology are among the hurdles that prevent women from breaking into global trade, which the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda expects to tackle.

The Commonwealth and the Government of Malaysia will host a conference to boost women’s participation in digital technology and global trade

Trade officials and experts gathered at the Commonwealth’s headquarters to debate the future of intra-Commonwealth trade in view of emerging trends such as increased digitalisation of services and regulatory barriers.

Trade officials and experts from Commonwealth African countries gathered in the Seychelles this week to discuss regional and global trade issues affecting their growth and development.

Small businesses in the Pacific will benefit from a better commercial environment, more links to global trade, as well as enhanced skills to leverage opportunities under the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment.

The Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, has encouraged food producers to take advantage of business opportunities within the Commonwealth, as world trade picks up following the 2008 global financial crisis.

Caribbean countries of the Commonwealth met in Georgetown, Guyana this week to deliberate on how to respond to major shifts in the global trade landscape.

Trade ministers and senior officials from the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of nations have praised the Commonwealth for enhancing their trade capacity while also calling for further assistance.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has concluded a successful meeting in Brussels with her counterpart at the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, Patrick Gomes.

The Government of Seychelles in collaboration with the Commonwealth has launched the ‘Blue Economy Strategic Framework and Roadmap’ to build its ocean-based economy.

The Commonwealth Small States Trade Finance Facility has become operational. Its supervisory board met for the first time today, in Malta. The Facility can now begin work to increase trade and investment flows for the 31 small states of the Commonwealth.

While the digital revolution has brought about unprecedented opportunities for global trade, developing countries and small states in the Commonwealth still face some key challenges linked to e-commerce.

Commonwealth members in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreed that despite their rich diversity, including in levels of development, they are united in recognising the importance of the rules-based multilateral system as a common good

The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Commonwealth Secretariat will today sign a new agreement to encourage the establishment and growth of small and medium sized businesses, including those owned by women and young people.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland today announced that the Commonwealth Secretariat is to sign a new agreement with the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC),

Pacific leaders have urged the Commonwealth Secretariat to ‘reshape and extend’ the Hub and Spokes programme beyond its proposed closure in November 2018.

At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2018, leaders committed themselves to the vision of increasing intra-Commonwealth trade to US$2 Trillion by 2030.

Terrence Simfukwe is a trade adviser seconded to Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He’s there as part of the Hub and Spokes Programme. The programme provides trade experts to national ministries and regional trade organisations in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of states. Prior to his posting in 2016, he was principal economist for foreign trade in Zambia’s Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry. Here he outlines Belize’s efforts to develop a national trade policy.