Promoting exports

The Commonwealth Fund for technical Cooperation (CFTC)'s Export Market Development Department helps Commonwealth member countries make new goods, sell them profitably and take advantage of beneficial multilateral trading arrangements. The Department works with both the government and the private sector. It helps governments develop good exporting policies, infrastructure and entrepreneur support. It also back products with export potential, upgrades production and finds buyers. For governments, it undertakes studies of the external trade sector, examining export measures, the institutional framework, constraints on growth, and the potential for new or upgraded products. It proposes policies and export strategies to make institutions more efficient, remove administrative bottlenecks, prioritize potentially strong sectors and enhance skills. The Commonwealth Secretariat provides about 40 long-term experts each year to help governments introduce the changes. The Department has also played a pioneering role in developing multi-phase product-development and marketing programmes. Under the Contact Promotion Programmes, consultants first examine products and potential products, and short-list producers likely to succeed. Then they find suitable foreign markets. Then they help upgrade products to suit those markets. As necessary, exporters and factory staff receive training. When both producers and markets are ready, the Department brings sellers and buyers together at a sales mission. Sales missions may be specialized, such as for women exporters, for manufacturers of small countries, and for producers of non-traditional goods.