Trade Policy
USAID assistance supports developing country partners' integration into global, regional, or bilateral markets. USAID has helped countries to accede to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and better implement and benefit from specific WTO agreements, including the Agreement on Agriculture, Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and others. The Agency also supports increased trade within and between regional economic communities (RECs) in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America & the Caribbean and helps countries benefit from preferential trade arrangements, such as the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). USAID does not make trade policy but focuses on trade capacity building (TCB) assistance delivered in the context of the U.S. interagency framework for trade policy.
TCB assistance focuses on both goods and services. USAID assistance in trade in goods has often focused on agriculture; agriculture and agribusiness tend to dominate the economic activity of many USAID partner countries and are critical to increasing food security in vulnerable regions or countries. However, USAID-funded programs have also focused on other key sectors, such as textiles & apparel and handicrafts. The services sector is the largest and fastest growing sector of the world economy. USAID-funded programs have also increased the competitiveness of key service sectors (e.g., tourism, financial services, telecommunications, energy and information and communications technology) in partner countries.
TCBoost has provided trade policy-related TCB assistance for USAID/EGAT and USAID field missions in the following areas:
Nigeria Expanded Exports Program. The Nigeria Expanded Exports Promotion (NEEP) pilot program, implemented through TCBoost, provides customized technical assistance to Nigerian enterprises in pursuit of measurable export transactions. NEEP supports exporters in a subset of sectors including sesame seed, specialty foods, shea, cashew, textiles, home décor and fashion, and fish and seafood. Assistance to enterprises has focused on improving links to international markets and clients and increasing access to finance for export transactions. For more information on NEEP, please visit the sub-project website.
Post-Quota Textiles and Apparel Trade in Developing Countries. The elimination of global textile and apparel quotas in 2005 raised concerns of rapid shifts in trade that would place fragile economies at risk. The past ten years have seen rapid growth in USAID interventions in the textiles and apparel sector. Given the sector's importance to USAID partner countries, it is critical that USAID continue to develop intelligent responses to trends and transformations. In Post-Quota Textiles and Apparel Trade in Developing Countries, TCBoost examined the "winners and losers" post-quota elimination, forecast future trends, and reviewed available USAID programs and interventions to help partner countries adjust to the post-quota world. Read paper (474kb - pdf).
Africa Regional Integration Thought Piece. At the request of USAID Washington/Africa Bureau, TCBoost produced a concise thought piece on best practices and lessons learned in providing assistance to African regional integration efforts, including approaches to working with regional economic communities (RECs) and other organizations. The brief also considered the implications of COMAI III and the Tripartite initiative for future regional integration efforts on the continent. Read paper (86.6kb - pdf).
Lao PDR Telecom Sector Analysis. The telecommunications services sector is a fundamental component of the Lao economy and its rapid development is vital to attracting domestic and foreign investment and facilitating and adding value to all other types of economic activities. Co-funded by the USAID Lao PDR WTO Accession project, TCBoost assessed the potential impact of increased competition in of the Laotian telecom sector and recommended ways the sector could become more competitive in light of the country's current trade obligations and legal framework. Read paper (378kb - pdf).