E-commerce is an opportunity to make the global trading system more inclusive. It allows micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to access new markets and consumers, break through geographic barriers, and cut down on intermediaries and transaction costs. An increase in e-commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean would improve the region’s competitiveness by … [Read more...] about Promoting E-Commerce in Latin America and the Caribbean
Trade Promotion
From physical to virtual: digitizing the business experience
Over 3 million firms from 150 countries have visited ConnectAmericas.com. Some 200,000 of them from 50 different industries have signed up for the platform, where they can access sector-specific communities, business opportunities, training, and financial information. ConnectAmericas.com receives support from Google, DHL, SeaLand, Facebook and MasterCard. It was created by the … [Read more...] about From physical to virtual: digitizing the business experience
The success that ten years of LAC Flavors has brought
Let’s try to get inside the head of a food exporter from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). What might their greatest desire be? Seeing their products on the shelves of supermarkets in other continents, probably. They might dream of someone in Belgium tasting their blueberry jam or a shopper in Korea trying their yucca snacks. They might not even need to look for new … [Read more...] about The success that ten years of LAC Flavors has brought
Short-sea shipping: A solution to Caribbean logistics challenges?
Caribbean islands face significant competitive disadvantages in trade because of a variety of factors — including the size and nature of their economies and their geographic location, which necessitates a reliance on maritime and air transport for most of their import and export needs, with 90 percent of goods being transported by sea. At the same time, maritime transport and … [Read more...] about Short-sea shipping: A solution to Caribbean logistics challenges?
Growth Slowdown: The impact of external risks
As is described in detail in the half-yearly update to Trade Trend Estimates — Latin America and the Caribbean, the region’s exports grew at a year-on-year rate of 10.6 percent in the first quarter of 2018. This represents a downturn in comparison with the average growth of 11.9 percent of 2017, which marked the end of four continuous years of contraction. Growth in Latin … [Read more...] about Growth Slowdown: The impact of external risks