Voluntary standards - RSS Feed

More data added to Standards Map

03/18/2013 5:52:42 AM

Data from four major organizations has been included the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) Standards Map, providing users of the web platform with even greater access to standards, codes and sustainability framework systems. The initiatives that have...

ITC director to German parliament: multilateral agencies essential in trade assistance

03/14/2013 6:26:05 AM

BERLIN – Multilateral trade assistance and bilateral aid play complementary roles and in a number of areas multilateral assistance is more effective, ITC Director Friedrich von Kirchbach told members of the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development...

The world’s first practitioner’s guide to the sustainable sourcing of agricultural raw materials

03/14/2013 3:57:12 AM

‘Sustainable Sourcing of Agricultural Raw Materials – a practitioner’s guide’ is being launched in London today...

EU funds for ITC tool help improve market-access transparency

02/20/2013 6:15:07 AM

ITC's online market analysis tools will in 2013 continue to be free for users in developing and least developed countries, thanks to financial support from the European Commission...

Company contacts now in Trade Map

08/31/2012 9:16:43 AM

ITCArticleElcitra Site\Intracen Company contacts now in Trade Map ITC adds company data from more than 60 countries to Trade Map, improving the ability of companies to identify trading partners across the world. ITC Communications 2012-08-31 Users of the International Trade Centre (ITC)’s Trade Map

Getting a grip on ITC’s market-analysis tools

08/06/2012 10:46:20 AM

More than 30 African Geneva-based officials on 30 July participated in a training session on ITC’s market-access analysis tools. The event, which was organized by ITC’s Office for Africa, was moderated by experts from the Market Analysis and Research...

Women need equal access to resources and opportunities

07/11/2012 12:28:14 PM

‘We must accelerate our efforts to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of women through development programmes grounded in country priorities, recognising that gender equality and women’s empowerment are critical to achieving development results.’...

Conference on business and humanitarian issues meets in Geneva, Switzerland

03/16/2012 12:11:01 PM

Speaking at a conference focused on the subject of harnessing the potential for the private sector to have a positive impact on development, ITC Executive Director, Patricia Francis, outlined her view that government and civil society engagement with the private sector is a time commitment but is a necessary component of plans to alleviate poverty...

ITC targets Indian clothing, food and beverage sectors for Standards Map training

01/11/2012 5:19:45 AM

An ITC team are currently in India demonstrating how Standards Map, the centre's new trade intelligence web tool, can apply to India's booming apparel industry and food and beverage sector...

ITC Standards Map is focus of workshop for U.S. Government experts

01/03/2012 10:46:45 AM

Specialists from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), USAID and the U.S. General Services Administration have a better understanding of standards issues thanks to an ITC workshop highlighting the centre's Standards Map...

Market Analysis Tools to remain free for 2012

12/27/2011 10:47:38 AM

ITC is pleased to announce its five online Market Analysis Tools - Trade Map, Market Access Map, Investment Map, Trade Competitiveness Map, and Standards Map - will remain free of charge for developing country users in 2012 thanks to financial support...

Kenya farm exporters get guidance on carbon rules

12/01/2011 9:30:34 AM

Some of the world’s top experts in carbon and water standards will give guidance to Kenyan exporters of fruits, vegetables and cut flowers on complying with the tough import requirements of developed country markets....

New Drivers of Global Value Chains

07/11/2011 10:59:45 AM

The long-term impact of the changing trade landscape on global value chains is being shaped by changes in standards regimes, exchange rates, investment flows and other key determinants such as climate change. While trading with fast-growing emerging...

Building Linkages for Export Success

06/16/2011 4:23:25 AM

Building Linkages for Export Success This handbook produced jointly by ISO and ITC describes the role of quality in export competitiveness and its implications for developing country exporters and support institutions; considers the role of national standards bodies (NSBs) and that of trade promotion organization

Tropical Fruits and Vegetables in China: Market overview

06/09/2011 5:31:20 AM

Tropical Fruits and Vegetables in China: Market overview China is the world’s top fruit and vegetable producer, with vegetable outputs alone totalling 49% of global output. The Chinese market for tropical fruits and vegetables is set to keep on growing at a steady pace in the near future. For least developed cou

New website compares voluntary sustainability standards

03/16/2011 4:03:11 PM

Exporters, producers and retailers can now compare dozens of different voluntary standards in one place. ITC's new Standards Map website (www.standardsmap.org) is the first comprehensive database on voluntary standards such as Fairtrade, Forest Stewardship Council, Marine Stewardship Council, GlobalG.A.P. and others....

The Impacts of Private Standards on Global Value Chains

03/09/2011 10:53:09 AM

Standards impact value chain Standards impact value chain 2011-03-09

News Brief

02/24/2011 6:44:15 PM

ITC to assist African Export Standards and QualityITC recently announced a partnership with African trade officials to improve the standard and quality of local small and medium-sized enterprises.

Quality - a prerequisite for exports: Increasing complexity of technical requirements in export markets

02/24/2011 6:43:52 PM

Exporters from developing countries are increasingly feeling the pressure to conform to international standards if they are to enter successfully developed country markets.

Closing the Gap: Quality and standards in ethical supply chains

02/24/2011 6:42:58 PM

Gap Inc. is one of the world's largest clothing retailers. It is also an industry leader in ethical sourcing and supply chain management through a social responsibility programme that advocates human rights as an essential component of quality and standards management.

Fairtrade: New business model taps markets in the South

02/24/2011 6:42:41 PM

With the emergence of new markets in the South, Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International's standards are adapting to become more than a doorway to export markets in the North.With the continuing shift in economic activity from developed to developing countries, the trend towards consumer growth in emerging markets requires transnational corporations to rethink the way they do business in the South. Fairtrade Labelling Organizations (FLO) International sees these global changes as an opportunity to introduce its international social certification system to consumer markets in the South.

Challenges in agri-food exports: Building the quality infrastructure

02/24/2011 6:42:23 PM

Many developing countries are ill equipped to take advantage of the opportunities provided by trade. Weak infrastructure, lack of capacity and the inability to meet technical product specifications and stringent requirements in terms of quality, safety, health and the environment impede their integration into global markets.

Standards and trade development facility: A collaborative approach to strengthen sanitary and phytosanitary capacity

02/24/2011 6:42:01 PM

Despite the potential for trade in food and agricultural products to generate economic growth and reduce poverty in developing countries, meeting food safety, animal and plant health requirements remains a challenge for farmers, processors and government agencies in some countries.

Global supply chains: The role of international standards and conformity assessment

02/24/2011 6:41:56 PM

As global supply chains continue to grow, the international accreditation network, underpinned by internationally agreed standards, plays an essential role in the support of competitive markets and cross-border trade. This is increasingly important as businesses seek to lower costs or satisfy contract terms while maintaining a level of confidence that products are technically compatible, to specification and safe.

The SPS Agreement: WTO agreement on the application of sanitary and phytosanitary measures

02/24/2011 6:41:52 PM

Although import duties on many agricultural products have been dropped or waived as part of preferential trading agreements, farmers in developing countries are facing new challenges to selling their products around the world. Technical requirements, particularly for the hygiene and safety of products, have become one of the greatest barriers to trade for many producers.

Global standards: Sweeten sugar for buyers

02/24/2011 6:41:39 PM

With biofuels becoming more prominent on the global market, production is being expanded in Brazil, Asia and Africa. This expansion has environmental groups concerned that sugar cane's environmental impact outweighs the economic and social benefits.

ISO 26000: Putting social responsibility to work

02/24/2011 6:41:25 PM

Recognition of the need for more ethically responsible business practices has seen the emergence of a strong global movement to embrace and promote the concept of social responsibility (SR).

A unique approach for developing countries: IEC Standards and Conformity Assessment

02/24/2011 6:41:11 PM

International trade in electrical and electronic products is becoming increasingly competitive. As technologies evolve rapidly, safety, reliability and performance must keep pace. This is equally true for companies in industrialized and industrializing countries.

Voluntary standards in developing Countries: The potential of voluntary standards and their role in international trade

02/24/2011 6:40:58 PM

The importance of voluntary standards has grown in recent years, contributing to higher growth rates in international trade, especially in agricultural products, than achieved in many more traditional markets. The advantages of complying with particular standards need to be carefully assessed to see whether significant gains are obtainable.

‘Market access begins at home,’ says ITC

01/11/2011 3:55:05 AM

A new ITC report on market access, transparency and fairness in global trade concludes that ‘market access begins at home’. It argues that further reducing barriers to trade between developing countries needs to be an essential part of the way forward...

Trade for sustainable development (T4SD)

12/06/2010 11:32:27 AM

Trade for sustainable development (T4SD) 2009-06-01 2011-12-31 one 1908 true