Boosting Market Access for Least Developed Countries: ITC Encourages LDCs That Are Members of the WTO to Tap into Market Access Map, Its Market Analysis Tool, Free until September 2006

Lassen, Helen, Rienstra, Dianna, International Trade Forum

Least developed countries (LDCs) that are members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) can now benefit from free market intelligence to help them gain market access and shape trade negotiations. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is investing US$ 200,000 in ITC's Market Access Map so that LDCs can use this tool, free of charge, until 30 September 2006.

Prior to the WTO Ministerial Meeting in Hong Kong in December, USAID is sponsoring three ITC workshops in Geneva to train LDC trade policy analysts on how to use Market Access Map, as well as a one-on-one help desk at ITC to assist trade officials in making full use of it in the lead-up to the Ministerial.

"The Doha Development Agenda is an important opportunity for all countries, including the world's poorest. LDCs need to analyse their market access situation and identify new opportunities. But they don't always have the information they need to make informed decisions on their bargaining positions," says ITC Executive Director J. Denis Belisle. …

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Publication information: Article title: Boosting Market Access for Least Developed Countries: ITC Encourages LDCs That Are Members of the WTO to Tap into Market Access Map, Its Market Analysis Tool, Free until September 2006. Contributors: Lassen, Helen - Author, Rienstra, Dianna - Author. Magazine title: International Trade Forum. Issue: 3 Publication date: July-September 2005. Page number: 29+. © 1998 International Trade Centre UNCTAD/GATT. COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group.

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