ITC publishes books, a magazine, trade bulletins and online trade statistics, targeting small firms in developing countries and trade support institutions.  ITC’s latest business guides are now free online.  Print versions can be purchased online from ITC's e-Shop.  

Books free online

Topics of the nine new practical business guides include:  Access to trade finance; Islamic banking; Geographical Indications; innovative entrepreneurs in trade in services; export promotion and the WTO; EC-CARIFORUM business opportunities; trade remedies in Brazil: electronic commerce; and consumer conscience.  More on our new guides .

HOW TO ACCESS TRADE FINANCE:  A GUIDE FOR EXPORTING SMEs English ITC, 2009, 145 p. This guide helps small exporters understand how to obtain finance, outlining the credit process of financial institutions, pre-application preparation, finding appropriate lenders and loan repayment. Models for business plans and loan requests are included. The guide also examines barriers to finance for small firms, and what financial institutions perceive as lending risks. Descriptors: Trade financing, export financing, SMEs, export credit, risk management, loan applications, barriers to finance.   Download the PDF

Islamic Banking – A Guide for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises English ITC, 2009, 110 p. A comprehensive guide to the fast-growing field of Islamic banking, this publication describes Islamic financial instruments and provides practical examples of how to use them. It focuses on the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly in the area of export finance. Descriptors: Banking, Islamic countries, Islamic financial instruments, SMEs, microfinance, gender, case studies.   Download the PDF

Guide to Geographical Indications: Linking Products and their Origins English, French, Spanish ITC, 2009, 226 p. With only 10% of the world’s protected geographical indications coming from developing countries, there is great potential to use this tool to reduce poverty through trade. This is the first book targeted to the business sector in developing countries on this topic. It draws from eight case studies and 200 published reports to provide valuable insights on how to set up and monitor geographical indications, share costs and benefits, and interpret legal frameworks. Descriptors: Geographical Indications, intellectual property, denomination of origin, agricultural products, case studies, developing countries. Download the PDF English - French - Spanish

Service Pioneers: Stories of Innovative Entrepreneurs English, French, Spanish ITC, 2009, 109 p. Challenging the notion that developing countries essentially export commodities, this book showcases the diversity of trade in services that flourishes in developing and least developed countries. With 28 case studies of entrepreneurs from 18 developing countries in a wide range of trade in service sectors, the book serves as an inspiration for would-be entrepreneurs. Experts also provide insights on sustainability, excellence and innovation. Descriptors: Services, trade in services, service exports, entrepreneurship, case studies, developing countries, Least Developed Countries (LDCs), economies in transition.   Download the PDF English - French - Spanish More on this topic

Export Promotion and the WTO: A Brief Guide English ITC, 2009, 45 p. This study focuses on export promotion schemes that developing countries may use without violating international trade rules. It examines the rules themselves – the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures for industrial goods and the Agreement on Agriculture for agricultural products – and looks at schemes currently in place in the developing world. Descriptors: Export promotion, subsidies, Agreement of Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, Agreement on Agriculture, World Trade Organization (WTO).   Download the PDF More on this topic

EC-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement: Services and Investment Commitments English ITC, 2009, 253 p. The EC-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) has created business opportunities in the services and investment sectors. This guide looks at opportunities for Caribbean enterprises in Europe, as well as openings for European businesses in 13 Caribbean markets. Key features of market access commitments made under the EPA are explained. Descriptors: Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), services, trade in services, investment commitments, CARIFORUM, market access, European Union.   Download the PDF

Business Guide to Trade Remedies in Brazil: Anti-dumping, Countervailing and Safeguards Legislation, Practices and Procedures English ITC, 2009, 340 p. This is a guide to Brazil’s trade remedy procedures (anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguards measures), seen from the perspective of WTO Agreements. It highlights substantive and procedural aspects of Brazilian law and practice targeted at the country’s trade partners – business managers, exporters and importers in developing and transition economies. Like other ITC publications on trade remedies, this guide equips these trading partners with the information they need to defend their trading rights in Brazil. Descriptors: Brazil, anti-dumping, safeguards, countervailing measures, Agreement on Safeguards, Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, Anti-Dumping Agreement, World Trade Organization (WTO).   Download the PDF More on this topic

Secrets of Electronic Commerce: A Guide for Small and Medium-sized Exporters (second edition) English ITC, 2009, 207 p. Part of ITC’s Trade Secrets series, this book provides extensive information, resources and advice on electronic commerce. The guide’s question and answer format allows users to focus on areas of particular interest, while at the same time covering the myriad issues linked to selling and buying via the Internet. Descriptors: electronic commerce, marketing, e-Procurement, SMEs.   Download the PDF More on this topic

Consumer Conscience: How Environment and Ethics Are Influencing Exports English ITC, 2009, 72 p. This report on the ITC World Export Development Forum on Consumers, Ethics and Environment (October 2008), reflects on what ethical trade means, the growth in the global fair trade and ethical markets, how entrepreneurs in developing countries can break into these markets, and what trade support institutions and governments should be doing to help ethical traders. It considers the bottom line for every topic discussed: how to use ethical trade as a tool to raise standards of living for everyone involved. Descriptors: Corporate social responsibility (CSR), fair trade, competitiveness, export strategy, ethical consumerism, ethical marketing, standards.   Download the PDF More on this topic