Compendium of Good Practices in implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement: experiences from Developing and Least Developed Countries

A new publication from UNCTAD draws some lessons from some selected developing and least developed countries that have successfully implemented specific measures of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) to guide other countries in designing, developing, and implementing trade reforms in the areas of: online publication of trade information; pre-arrival processing; electronic payment; risk management; Single Window; SPS-related measures; freedom of transit via border agency cooperation; and National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFCs). The Compendium is the first of a series of publications that aims to describe successful experiences in the implementation of all measures under the TFA, including their cost, fees and solutions aimed at guaranteeing their sustainability in the long term.

Case studies analysed include, for what concerns African countries, the establishment of the Kenya Trade Portal and of the Rwanda electronic single window. Particularly interesting is the experience of the Azerbaijan in strengthening Phytosanitary Controls and Coordination at the Border. The case story describes how the country ensured to increase the phytosanitary security of imported/exported consignments of regulated articles, particularly for what concerns the detection and diagnosis of plant quarantine pests, and the cooperation practices established between the phytosanitary authority and Customs at border control points in order to strengthen phytosanitary protection and facilitate at the same time the trade of plants and plant products.