Roadmap for building a national trade information portal

UNCTAD’s approach is centred on the principles that the information has to be presented form the users’ point of view and that traders should always have access to step-by-step guides to navigate trade-related procedures. This methodology has proven effective in facilitating trade, namely by helping governments simplify their rules and procedures and comply with the various provisions of the TFA. As a result, this report sets out the importance of placing the user at the centre as the primary customer and how a Trade Information Portal (TIP) TIP system should be structured to ensure that the needed information is packaged, delivered, and received in a manner that is always easy to follow. The guidance set out in the report reaffirms that a central repository for trade information is the most effective way of complying with Article 1 of the TFA, and that step-by-step guides to procedures are key to ensuring transparency and make trade-related procedures more efficient.