Going beyond: create export-friendly national policies

Addressing trade policy alone will not create the necessary enabling environment for export development. Sound policies accompanied by a product-specific sectoral action plan to give impetus to export development will create a conducive atmosphere for the exporters to perform not only efficiently but profitably."

Dawa T. Sherpa, Bhutan, in the ITC e-Discussion 

"Export taxes on agricultural products [...] penalize peasant farmers because exporters have to pay the tax at the moment of taking goods onboard, so they deduct this sum from the price paid to producers. This reduces the farmers' revenues, therefore reducing the incentive to produce, whose consequence is a diminution of agriculture production - and therefore of exports."

Christiane Leong, Head, Export Support Service, Madagascar Ministry of

Commerce, in the ITC e-Discussion 

"The problem is not that of good policies but of putting the policies into action."

Emmarita Z. Mijares, Deputy Executive Director, Export Development Council, Philippines, in the ITC e-Discussion