Trade facilitation has been described as the simplification, modernization, and harmonization of export, import and transit processes.

On the other hand, trade promotion is simply used for economic, financial and technical policies and tools,  state interventions and business initiatives. It has been one of the permanent policy agenda items of all of the governments around the world. However, in practice, trade promotion it is mostly developed and implemented as export promotions or incentives.

Although export incentives vary from country to country and time to time, it includes several common measures such as diversifying exported products and services, providing necessary assurance, technical and financial support to exporters while attempting to increase their shares in the international market or finding new markets, financial support for the participation of national companies in foreign exhibitions or opening representative offices abroad,  supporting data sharing and data analysis techniques, and training of exporting companies’ managers and professional staff.

Trade facilitation and promotion issues are also continuously elaborated and supported by many international organizations from the World Customs Organization (WCO) to the World Trade Organization (WTO) or the European Union (EU) to the Africa Union (AU). Furthermore, trade facilitation has been a specific subject of one of the international treaties: Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) which entered force on 22nd February 2017 and was ratified by 154 States (as of January 2022).

However, the complexity and involvement of the number of stakeholders of these subjects require not only public private sector partnership but also external professional, innovative and practical advices  with best practices.

Another key challenge of trade facilitation and export promotion issues for all stakeholders is to find correct, complete, and timely market related information and information sources. The analysis of this information and interpretation of the key conclusions are other but important challenges for public and private stakeholders of global supply chain. To overcome the identified challenges is a must to minimize the trade related risks. All these measures and efforts may require companies to consider receiving external expert advice or support from specialized consultants or consulting companies.

Saka consulting with its team of distinguished international experts is ready to help the relevant international organizations, governments, ministries, customs and trade community and private sectors all around the world by providing the following services:

1. GAP AND NEED ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

  • NATIONAL TRADE FACILITATION PROGRAMME
  • NATIONAL EXPORT PROMOTIONS
  • AWARENESS ACTIVITIES AND TOOLS
  • COORDINATION STRATEGY AND TOOLS
  • REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT
  • INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

2. NATIONAL TRADE FACILITATION PROGRAMME AND ROAD MAP

3. EXPORT PROMOTIONS AND PROCEDURES

4. RAISING AWARENESS PROGRAMME AND MATERIALS

5. OPERATION OF FREE TRADE ZONES (FTZ)

6. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS

7. AUTHORIZED ECONOMIC OPERATOR (AEO)

8. BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP

9. ANALYSIS OF FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS

10. MARKET INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS

  • NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION SOURCES
  • MARKET ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES
  • COUNTRY BASIS ANALYSIS
  • SECTOR BASIS ANALYSIS (e.g., education, defence, energy, health, machine tools,)
  • PRODUCT BASIS ANALYSIS (e.g., orange, coffee, tea, milk, wheat)
  • IMPORTER/EXPORTER BASIS ANALYSIS
  • ANALYSIS OF TRANSPORT OPTIONS (e.g., maritime, air, railways, land)

11. TRAINING, WORKSHOP, AND CONFERENCE SUPPORT

  • HANDBOOK FOR TRAINERS AND PARTICIPANTS
  • TRAINING CURRICULUM
  • TRAINING MATERIALS
  • LESSON PLANS
  • CASE STUDIES AND SCENARIOS
  • TABLE-TOP EXERCISES
  • BASIC AND ADVANCED LEVEL COURSES (INCLUDING TRAIN-THE-TRAINER)
  • DELIVERY OF LECTURES (ONLINE OR FACE TO FACE)
  • CONDUCTING CLASS-ROOM TRAINING ACTIVITIES, WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES