From 11-14 June, the International Trade Centre (ITC) will organise a workshop for Georgian business support organisations and Government officials on ITC’s market analysis tools, as part of the recently launched ‘Eastern Partnership: Ready to Trade’ project funded by the European Union in the framework of the EU4Business initiative.
The aim of the Eastern Partnership: Ready to Trade project is to help SMEs from Georgia and other Eastern Partnership countries integrate into global value chains and access new markets with a focus on the European Union. Among its objectives is also to provide support to local BSOs to improve services to SMEs by strengthening their capacities in different trade related areas.
The objective of the workshop is to reinforce the skills of BSO representatives and trade advisers to respond to requests on perceived export opportunities. The course integrates ITC Tools and methodologies as well as other elements of trade information required to effectively access target markets.
During the workshop, the participants will follow a methodology for the creation of international market profiles for Georgian products through the use of conventional and non-conventional sources of information. Special focus will be applied on the utilisation of two flagship ITC tools:
- Trade Map (www.trademap.org), an online database which provides international trade statistics and company data and presents indicators on export performance, international demand, alternative markets and the role of competitors from both the product and country perspective;
- Market Access Map (www.macmap.org), a web application which supports the needs of private companies and policy makers by enhancing market transparency and facilitating the analysis of trade-related policy issues, presenting a comprehensive perspective on the different types of barriers that affect international trade.
This training will also include an introduction to:
- Sustainability Map (www.sustainabilitymap.org), an online tool which provides comprehensive, verified and transparent information on voluntary sustainability standards and other similar initiatives covering issues such as food quality and safety. It strengthens the capacity of policymakers to participate in more sustainable production and trade;
- Export Potential Map (http://exportpotential.intracen.org), which translates rigorous trade analysis into practical information about export opportunities. Based on an economic model that draws on trade, tariff, GDP and geographic data, the tool helps evaluate countries’ potential to ramp up or diversify exports.
By the end of the workshop, participants are expected to be able to provide better advice and research materials on opportunities and feasibilities of exporting selected products from Georgia to a target market. The training will be provided to representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, Partnership Fund, Enterprise Georgia and Export Development Association.