Press releases

Ukraine unveils Strategic Trade Development Roadmap

28 March 2017
ITC News
Knowledge and innovation-based exports key for Ukraine’s future export strategy.

(Kyiv) – A new plan for Ukraine to drive growth and job creation by increasing exports of high-value goods and services was publicly presented and discussed in Kyiv today.

First Deputy Prime Minister Stepan Kubiv called the Strategic Trade Development Roadmap a tool for creating a successful future for Ukrainian exports. ‘It is a special kind of social contract between business and government that defines mutual expectations, outlines the responsibilities and identifies common goals and objectives in the field of exports,’ he said.

‘This roadmap represents a critical milestone toward a fully fledged export strategy for the country,’ said Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Nataliya Mykolska.

The Strategic Trade Development Roadmap outlines a pragmatic path for Ukraine to tackle constraints and seize opportunities for export development. It was jointly developed by the government, the private sector and civil society, with support from the International Trade Centre.

In the shared vision set out in the roadmap, Ukraine moves towards ‘knowledge- and innovation-based exports for sustainable development and success in global markets’. Three key objectives are to help turn this vision into a reality:

• The creation of an enabling environment that stimulates trade and innovation for diversified exports;
• The development of business and trade support services that improve the competitiveness of enterprises, in particular SMEs; and
• The strengthening of skills and competencies that enterprises require to engage in international trade.

The roadmap calls for Ukraine to capitalize on its existing strengths and use its current industrial base as a launchpad for smart industries and technology-driven sectors. In addition, it points to how established agro-business sectors can realize their considerable potential to boost productivity and international competitiveness. The document devotes special attention to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These firms account for nearly all Ukrainian enterprises and two-thirds of employment in the country. However, even though businesses involved in international trade tend to grow faster than businesses that are purely domestic, only 11.8% of small Ukrainian firms, and 20% of medium-sized firms, are directly or indirectly involved in exports. Bringing more Ukrainian SMEs into export value chains would help generate more and better-paying jobs across a broad section of the workforce.

The roadmap identifies clusters of goods and services sectors with high potential for SME-driven exports, value addition and technological transformation: i) aerospace and aviation industries, both manufacturing and related services such as maintenance and information and communications technology (ICT); ii) tourism and the creative services; and iii) agro-food industries, including organic produce, processes foods and beverages, and food ingredients.

‘The plan of action set out in the roadmap is designed to achieve quick results in selected high-impact areas,’ Anders Aeroe, Director of the Division of Enterprises and Institutions at ITC, said. ‘As such the roadmap can contribute to ongoing efforts to pave the way for ‘a new Ukraine, a modern and proud nation with a vibrant and dynamic economy, open for business, trade and investment.’

To learn more about ITC’s work on National Export Strategies, please visit: http://www.intracen.org/itc/trade-strategy/

Notes for the Editor

About ITC
ITC is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations’ Global Goals for Sustainable Development. For more information, visit www.intracen.org. Follow ITC on Twitter: @ITCnews

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