Trade
points help facilitate overseas business transaction
by bringing together all service providers related
to export import trade. The focus is on Small
and Medium Enterprises (SME). While Industry Associations
focus on domestic market and lobbying with government,
trade points focus on helping SMEs take greater
participation in international business.
What
is a Trade Point ?
A trade point is a meeting place
for various entities related to foreign trade
- buyers, sellers, inspection agencies, customs,
foreign trade institutes, freight forwarders,
transport companies, banks and insurance firms
etc. Its mission is to foster greater participation
in international trade in particular of small
and medium-sized enterprises, by reducing transaction
costs, by contributing to the simplification and
harmonization of trade procedures worldwide, and
giving traders access to advanced technologies
and information networks.
Origin
of Trade Points
Origin of Trade Points is an initiative
of the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD) to assist Small and Medium
Enterprises (SME) participate in International
trade. According to this program - Trade Points
are :
-
business facilitation centers,
physically or virtually aggregating agents
involved in foreign trade transactions (eg.
in customs clearance, transportation, banking,
insurance, etc);
-
sources of information on foreign
trade;
-
gateways to global trade nets
and to trade opportunities, operating in a
network through the World Wide Web
Evolution
of Trade Points
The GTPnet or Global Trade Points
Network has established more than 160 centres
worldwide. Though the initiatives were really
path breaking - most of the good work was undone
by an overemphasis on govt machinery rather than
free market initiative to create a vibrant information
sharing network. Good news is that there is now
visible indication of greater non-govt initiatives
with more and more private trade points emerging.
These trade points are helping traders in their
respective countries in a significant way to reach
global markets.
Trade
Points as Source of Information
Trade points, could be great source
of information on foreign trade, specially information
pertaining to a foreign market. Following is a
list of trade points (both UN sponsored and private
ones) who could be great source of information.
This is only a partial list for demonstration
- please use following link to list of 160 UN
sponsored trade points for a comprehensive listing.
World Trade Point Federation http://www.wtpfed.org/trade_point.html
List
of Selected Trade Points
Trade
Point Information Exchange program
We at www.infobanc.com have initiated
a program to share information with more than
300 Trade Points, Chambers of Commerce, Industry
Associations, Trade Promotion Orgns etc. throughout
the world. We publish a weekly newsletter called
'SUCHNA' for foreign trade organizations. SUCHNA
contains trade inquiries from Indian importers.
Overseas trade organizations receiving SUCHNA
send us BUY/DEMAND inquiries received from their
members for distribution among Indian exporters.
This has proved to be extremely helpful as Indian
importers receive excellent quotations from actual
manufacturers and exporters and our exporter members
receive genuine buy/demand inquiries from overseas
importers.
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