Economic globalization allows for easier cross-border trade of products, commodities, services, and capital. Organizations around the world compete to secure their place within international supply chains and gain access to the global market. Just a few decades ago, it would have been pretty difficult to imagine food items from Vietnam being sold in Iceland or Icelandic seafood being delivered to African countries. Today, due to the extensive development of global supply and value chains such arrangements are now possible. However, small producers from developing countries still encounter various challenges when wishing to trade internationally. Considering that exports have the potential to increase the profitability of SMEs by about 26%, building stable, long-term partnerships with sophisticated foreign buyers could prove vital for the future of those entities.
To expand on this issue, DevelopmentAid, together with CoverPoint RCM and the International Trade Centre (ITC), is organizing a thematic webinar on “Connecting buyers and sellers in international value chains”. The webinar will focus on the essential aspects of global value chains and offer vital tips for identifying foreign buyers and building sustainable export channels for their products.
Coverpoint RCM and the ITC are dedicated to assisting SMEs to become more competitive and to build sustainable links with large buyers. They argue that the costs of matching buyers and sellers represent the most substantial proportion of trade expenses. Reducing these could push SMEs into global value chains much more easily and much more quickly.
CoverPoint RCM is a multi-disciplinary development consulting company aiming to add value for its clients as a business development catalyst, human capacity builder, technology solutions provider, and in-house consultancy. The International Trade Centre is a multilateral agency sharing a joint mandate with the World Trade Organization and the United Nations that is fully dedicated to supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to enable them to benefit from trade.
Invitation to a Webinar
DevelopmentAid invites you to attend the webinar, “Connecting buyers and sellers in international value chains”, on 19 May 2022 at 4 pm (Brussels) / 10 am (Washington DC).
Key takeaways
- Tips for a successful product/service launch into export markets
- How to find foreign distributors for your product/services
- What factors distributors consider when deciding to take on a new product
Speakers
Anthony Brand, CEO & Partner at CoverPoint RCM
Anthony has over 20 years of experience in the Caribbean and EU across various industries such as manufacturing, utilities, logistics, and private sector development. As the CEO and a Partner at Coverpoint RCM, Anthony works on engaging SMEs, export development agencies, IPAs, and agricultural cooperatives in the CARIFORUM and Africa Regions to expand international trade. He has completed several international buyer recruitment projects for the Caribbean Export Development Agency and has supported the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturing Association to conduct EU/UK market exploration activities. Anthony has vast experience of collaborating with international development partners including the ITC, UNIDO, and the World Bank amongst others. Since 2020, Anthony has served as a Technical Expert and Advisory Board Member of the Caribbean Chamber of Commerce Europe.
Cristina Reni, Market Development Coordinator at International Trade Centre
Cristina coordinates the market development activities for the Alliances for Action program of the International Trade Centre which is an initiative to establish a network that transforms food systems and advances the Sustainable Development Goals through producer partnerships. Her work goes hand in hand with producer cooperatives and food entrepreneurs around market access and product development and aims to shift the focus of the value of food to communities, culture and trade. . Cristina holds a Master’s degree in History and Culture of Food from the University of Bologna and a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas.
Abel Fernández, General Manager of the cooperative CONACADO in the Dominican Republic
Host
Elena Rata, External Relations & Events at DevelopmentAid
