G/SPS/GEN/1546  
 
23 March 2017 
(17-1603) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 INFORMATION ON SPS -RELATED ACTIVITIES OF 
THE INTERNATIONAL TR ADE CENTRE (ITC)  
(NOVEMBER 2016 – MARCH 2017 ) 
The following communication, received on 21 March  2017, is being circulated at the request of the 
ITC. 
 
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The International Trade Cen tre is continuing its efforts to assist enterprises to meet technical 
requirements. An update of selected SPS -related projects of interest to the WTO Members is 
provided below.  
1  PROJECTS  
1.1  Afghanistan: T rade-related support assistance  
1.1.  A new three -year project  funded by the European Union and implemented by ITC was 
launched in November 2016 in Kabul aiming to strengthen human and institutional capacities in 
trade policy, strategy formulation and implementation, with active engagement of the private 
sector. Qual ity management, SPS measures are amongst the focus areas of the project. The 
Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) is the main counterpart of this project; beneficiaries 
include among others the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, National Stan dards Body and 
relevant sector associations.  
1.2.  The first consultation on the development of Afghanistan's National Export Strategy was held 
on 20 -21 February in Kabul – a first step towards setting out trade priorities. The event provided 
an opportunity for  more than 100 representatives from the public and private sector to explore 
challenges and opportunities for improving Afghanistan's trade performance and share their views 
on issues such as value -chain improvements, supply capacities, competitiveness and  quality 
management and SPS.  
1.3.  As a first action on building awareness in the area of quality and SPS, a two -day workshop on 
the WTO SPS and TBT Agreements was h eld in Kabul on 15 and 18 February for more than 
20 participants from the public and private sect or. 
1.2  Myanmar: Improving Food Safety and Compliance with SPS Measures to Increase 
Export Revenues in the Oilseeds Value Chain (STDF 486) (August 2015 – August 2018)  
1.4.  Under the project implemented by ITC in close collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce, 
the main activities carried out in the reporting period are as follows:  
 At farm level: The 1st set of training and capacity building was conducted in January 2017. 
A 5-day ToT on GAP and SPS for 15 Extension Officers, four inception workshops in 
three  region s for more than 400 farmers, buyers, and representatives of institutions . Initial 
clusters of farmers have been established;  
 At collector level: The 1st set of training and capacity building was conducted in December. 
Two one -day theoretical training on hygiene practices and documentation for the storage 
facilities and collectors were replicated in Mandalay and Magway regions . More than 
30 collectors sensitised on Good Hygiene Practices ( GHP), five Trainers -cum-Counsellors 
(TcCs) and ten Department s of Agri culture  (DoA) trained;  G/SPS/GEN/1546  
 
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   At processor level: The 1st set of capacity building programme on HACCP was provided to 
ten processors (sesame, groundnut and sunflower seeds and oil), ten Trainers -cum-
Counsellors, eight Food and Drug Authority (FDA)  officers . More than 100 stakeholders 
were sensitised on SPS and food safety in international trade. A total of seven training 
workshops, ten gap assessment visits of participating companies were conducted in 
November –December 2016;  
 A mapping of the existing financial opp ortunities for beneficiaries was initiated together 
with identification of the main types of financial needs by ITC;  
 Linkages with the market: a roundtable with a potential international buyer was facilitated 
on 22 November where the EU technical market re quirements along with export 
opportunities were discussed. A booklet on the ten participating exporters profile was 
developed; and  
 ITC project manager participated in the Myanmar country day on 2 February in Rome 
organised by the Italian Ministry of Foreig n Affairs for more than 250 representatives from 
public and private sector from Myanmar and Italy and made a presentation on the 
partnership opportunities in the oilseed sector. Brochures about theSTDF project were 
distributed.  
1.3  Finland: Promoting Intra -regional trade in Eastern Africa –Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia 
(ended in 2016)  
1.5.  ITC implemented an inclusive and sustainable export -led growth project funded by the 
Government of Finland in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia that contributed to improve the 
competitiveness o f their producers, SMEs and Trade Support Institutions (TSIs).  ITC assisted TSIs 
to put into practice their advisory services related to food safety and quality, and to train local 
counsellors to assist enterprises to implement food safety systems based o n HACCP.  
 In Tanzania: 13 enterprises (honey, chilli, and mango) and ten counsellors built capacity 
on HACCP based on Codex. The third party certification on HACCP by the national 
standards Body (TBS) is on -going and at the moment four SMEs obtained certif ication;  
 In Zambia: ten counsellors and ten enterprises (honey) built capacity on HACCP based on 
Codex. Five companies obtained certification by a third -party international certification 
body; and  
 In Kenya: five enterprises producing mango and dry chilli m ade implemented HACCP based 
on Codex and are being audited by KEBS.  
1.4  Netherlands Trust Fund (NTF III): Enhancing the export competitiveness of the 
avocado industry -  Kenya (2014 -2017)  
1.6.  The project funded by the Government of the Netherlands through the Cent re for the 
Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI) is assisting to : 1) increase the export 
capacity of exporting SMEs and farmer groups ; 2) improve the capacity of beneficiary TSIs in 
providing services to SMEs ; and 3) create and/or expand bus iness linkages and technical 
partnerships/collaborations to ensure SMEs obt ain contracts with new clients.  
1.7.  In the area of quality/SPS an in -depth capacity building programme enabled to establish ten 
farmers groups (average of 50 farmers each) and link them  to ten exporters and train them to 
implement GLOBALGAP. Nine groups obtained third -party GLOBALGAP certification. Linkages with 
the Fit for Market programmes are established to support additional training and capacity building 
to the groups of farmers bey ond the end of the NTF III project.  
1.5  Netherlands Trust Fund – III: Inclusive Tourism Focussing on Kayah State, 
Myanmar (2014 -2017)  
1.8.  This project funded by the Government of the Netherlands through CBI aims to boost job 
creation and socioeconomic development in Kayah State through an inclusive tourism approach 
that benefits local communities and entrepreneurs. The project is. It is implemented in partnership 
with the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, the Myanmar Tourism 
Association, pub lic, private and civil socie ty stakeholders in Kayah State.  
1.9.  As part of activities aimed at improving the local supply chain for the tourism industry, a pool 
of ten university students and 15 operators (hotels, restaurants and food and bottle water G/SPS/GEN/1546  
 
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  producer s) and market vendors are trained and assisted to implement hygiene practices and keep 
records.  
1.6  Zimbabwe: Strengthening the national sanitary and phytosanitary institutional 
framework  
1.10.   This project, funded by the European Union , aims to improve the SPS infr astructure in order 
to facilitate exports to the European Union and the neighbouring countries. As part of the activities 
planned three workshops were conduct ed during the reporting period:  
 A workshop on Rules of Origin (RoO) was held on 9 September 2016 w here 40 SMEs learnt 
about the methodological basis on which different RoO regimes are based, and asso ciated 
concepts and provisions;  
 A workshop on Risk -Based Official Controls was held on 26 -30 September 2016; and  
 A third workshop was held with the Ministr y of SMEs and Cooperative Development, on the 
WTO TBT and SPS Agreements (11 -12 October 2016) where 22 SME participated to clarify 
the main concepts related to standards and technical regulations (TBT/SPS), their 
importance, differences and relationship be tween these, and relevant information 
resources.  
1.7  Supporting Indian Trade and Investment for Africa (SITA)  
1.11.   This project, funded by DFID, aims to increase the value of business transactions between 
India and selected African countries with the ultimate objec tive to create jobs and income 
opportunities.  
1.12.   Five training events were held between 15 February – 8 March 2017, to improve food safety 
in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda in the pulses, spices and sunflower seed oil sectors. 
These trainings provi ded participating small and medium -sized exporters with the practical aspects 
of implementing HACCP. Three new ITC guides outlining standards and technical regulations in the 
pulses, spices and sunflower sectors were provided to participating enterprises.  
2  OTHER ACTIVITIES, PU BLICATIONS, OR INTER VENTIONS OF INTEREST  
2.1  Export Quality Management publications and workshops with PTB  
2.1.  A Workshop is planned in Egypt, Cairo on 28 -29 March 2017 with the objective to enhance 
the knowledge and skills needed by business s upport organisations to effectively support SMEs to 
improve quality management (including SPS) and comply with the prevailing market access 
requirements. On 30 March the booklet "Managing Quality in Egypt: A Directory of Services for 
SMEs " will be launched . 
2.2  NTM programme update  
2.2.  Survey status: To date (since 2010) NTM surveys have been carried out in 39 developing 
countries and the European Union implying interviews  with over 28,000 exporters and importers; 
in 2017, Sudan will be added to the list of countri es. 
2.3.  EU survey results were released in December 2016. The survey of over 8,000 companies 
across the 28 member States gives insights on obstacles to trade between the E uropean Union and 
developing countries and a benchmark and point of comparison for surve y results from other 
countries.  
2.4.  Compared with developing countries, much fewer companies report problems related to 
NTMs. However, for exporters who report NTM -related trade obstacles, SPS and TBT measures top 
the list of burdensome requirements.  
2.5.  We have re cently published survey reports for Thailand, Indonesia and the European Union . 
The list of publications to be released in 2017 is substantive and includes both country publications 
(e.g., Bangladesh, Benin, Comoros, Mali, Nepal, Philippines ) and regional publications 
(e.g., ECOWAS).  G/SPS/GEN/1546  
 
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  2.6.  Information about regulations, including SPS and TBT measures is continuously being 
updated – recent updates include India and selected Arab States. ITC's Market Access Map 
contains NTM information for a total of 90 countries – additional are in the process of being added 
(e.g., Bangladesh).  
2.7.  In November 2016, WTO, UNDESA and ITC jointly launched ePing 
(http://www.epingalert.org/en ). The system allows users (e.g. , companies, enquiry p oints, trade 
support institution s) to receive alerts about SPS and  TBT notifications for products and countries of 
their interest. To date, more than 1,500 users registered to the system. The three organisations 
are designing capacity building offers, part icularly for enquiry points but  also for other types of 
users.  
2.8.  Upcoming projects: in 2017, ITC will be implementing a regional trade obstacles alert 
mechanism in UEMOA. This will allow companies to report obstacles to intraregional trade, 
including issues related to market requirements, product certification s and recognition of 
documents.  
Further information:  
NTM-related publications, including country -specific survey reports, can be accessed free of charge 
at http:// www.intracen.org/publications/ntm . Survey results are available in a more interactive 
format via http:// www.ntmsurvey.org . For more information about ITC's NTM programme, please 
contact ntm@intracen.org . 
2.3  2017 World Export Development Forum (WEDF): Budapest, Hungary on 
25-26 October 2017  
2.9.  The theme of the 2017 flagship event of ITC, hosted by Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
and Trade, will focus on "Trade – a Force for Good: Include, Innovate, Integrate ". The two -day 
event will explore how trade can be a driver of inclusive growth and job creation focusing on small 
and medium enterprises (SMEs).  
2.10.   For more information on WEDF 2017, including the programme a nd registration, please visit 
http://www.intracen.org/wedf . 
For more information, please contact:  
Ludovica Ghizzoni, ITC Adviser on Export Quality Management  
Tel: +41 22 730 06 38 - Fax: +41 22 730 05 76 - E-mail: ghizzoni@intracen.org  
 
Khemraj Ramful, ITC Senior Adviser on Export Quality Management  
Tel: +41 22 730 04 87 - Fax: +41 22 730 05 76 - E-mail: ramful@intracen.or g 
 
ITC Export Quality Management  
Website: http://www.intracen.org/eqm  
E-mail: quality@intracen.org  
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ITCstandards  
 
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