More people seem to be talking about international trade than they have in years, whether they are directly involved in importing and exporting, or they are merely engaged as citizens while the latest policy changes shake out.

With all of the publicity surrounding Brexit, CETA and NAFTA renegotiations it’s no wonder chins are wagging. So we thought this was the perfect time to ask the experts what’s in store for global business, and where tomorrow’s biggest threats and opportunities will be.

FITT’s upcoming Your Future in Global Markets conference will address just that, so there were no better experts to ask then those who will be leading these discussions at the conference. Five of the #YourFuture2017 speakers obliged us and shared their insights in this month’s #TradeElite Twitter chat.>

Here’s what they had to say.

Panelists:

Nicole Verkindt (@OffSetMarket) – Founder, OMX, “Dragon”, Next Gen Den, Panellist, CBC News, The Exchange based out of Toronto, Canada

Amy Karam (@AmyKaram) – Author, speaker, instructor and global expansion and competitive strategy consultant based out of Ottawa, Canada

Jyll Saskin Gales (@jyllsaskingales) – Export Consultant, Google based out of Toronto Canada

Marcos Vaena (@MarcosVaena) – Chief, Sector and Enterprise Competitiveness, International Trade Centre, based out of Geneva, Switzerland

Adrian Mutton (@AdrianMutton) Founder and CEO of Sannam S4 and U.S. Business Centers, based out of Washington D.C. and London, England.

Let’s get the threats outta the way first. What’re the biggest threats global businesses will face in the next year, 5 yrs, beyond?

A1 Biggest = macro threats e.g. politics. Micro = resistance to change. Focus on micro threats, they’re in your control #tradeelite

— Jyll Saskin Gales (@jyllsaskingales) August 17, 2017

A1. Consumers moving to more minimalist lifestyles, the move from rural to urban (esp. China), Climate change. #TradeElite

— audrey ross (@tresAudrey) August 17, 2017

A1: A big threat is increased protectionism and a halt to global trade #tradeelite

— OMX (@offsetmarket) August 17, 2017

A1. It would be obvious to link politics and uncertainty. Uncertainty can breed lack of confidence. #globalbiz needs confidence #tradeelite

— Adrian Mutton (@adrianmutton) August 17, 2017

A1: One of biggest threats for #globalbiz is lack of cross cultural IQ in business practices #tradeelite

— Amy Karam (@AmyKaram) August 17, 2017

@FITTNews #TradeElite A1: Volatility (incl political), accelerating technological change/disruption. SMEs need to be on top of their game.

— Marcos Vaena (@MarcosVaena) August 17, 2017

Q1. But uncertainty also presents opportunity. I prefer to think in those terms! #TradeElite

— Adrian Mutton (@adrianmutton) August 17, 2017

What are some things businesses of all sizes can do today to prepare to face these threats?

@FITTNews #TradeElite A2: Business need to leverage global networks to diversify risk. More engagement with youth to understand the future.

— Marcos Vaena (@MarcosVaena) August 17, 2017

#TradeElite Great innovation networks at global level @impacthub @seedstars are some great examples! @ITC_Youth another excellent initiative

— Marcos Vaena (@MarcosVaena) August 17, 2017

A2 Focus on growing your core competencies (product, customers, culture), not on becoming a diplomat, currency expert, etc. #tradeelite

— Jyll Saskin Gales (@jyllsaskingales) August 17, 2017

A2: Biz can increase partnerships with ‘the other side’ in order to gain more insight & clarity on dynamics eg enlist govt help #tradeelite

— Amy Karam (@AmyKaram) August 17, 2017

A2. In short, get out there. Work hard to with pinpoint the opportunities. Don’t rely on hyperbole. Trade can mitigate risk #TradeElite

— Adrian Mutton (@adrianmutton) August 17, 2017

A2. Nothing! Most are out of Biz control. Make a product / service you believe in & treat your customers ?#TradeElite

— audrey ross (@tresAudrey) August 17, 2017

@FITTNews #TradeElite A2: eCommerce still holds huge opport 2 expand markets and go global, esp. for SMEs @ebaygr has good data to prove it

— Marcos Vaena (@MarcosVaena) August 17, 2017

Is there any emerging tech that could help businesses and individuals mitigate risks in tomorrow’s global trade environment?

A3 Must have tech that enables easy analysis, collaboration and communication within companies. Necessary for #globaltrade #tradeelite

— Jyll Saskin Gales (@jyllsaskingales) August 17, 2017

#TradeElite Q3: Great tools can be used by companies to spot threats and identify opportunities: https://t.co/8PFXf4e2m1 @ITC_MktAnalysis

— Marcos Vaena (@MarcosVaena) August 17, 2017

A3. More agile transportation like drones & being more diligent about who is in your supply chain. #TradeElite

— audrey ross (@tresAudrey) August 17, 2017

A3: tech definitely helps eg. ecommerce good way to access new markets, comms improved etc. Also present own challenges though #tradeelite

— Adrian Mutton (@adrianmutton) August 17, 2017

#tradeelite A3: No tech foolproof. Need to understand how 2 use it and interpret the data. Digital skills a must 4 future-proofing yr biz

— Marcos Vaena (@MarcosVaena) August 17, 2017

A3 We’ll be talking more about emerging tech at the Your Future in Global Markets conference #tradeelite

— Jyll Saskin Gales (@jyllsaskingales) August 17, 2017

Moving into opportunities, what are some of the biggest, opportunities tomorrow’s global businesses can take advantage of?

A4 1) Billions of people still coming online globally 2) For Canadian biz, non-English markets are often untapped opportunity #tradeelite

— Jyll Saskin Gales (@jyllsaskingales) August 17, 2017

A4. Staying in-the-know about Free Trade Agreements so that you can have extra benefits for selecting that market. #TradeElite

— audrey ross (@tresAudrey) August 17, 2017

A4: Opports tomorrow’s #globalbiz can take advantage of: growing number of #emerging mkts customers and their rising income #tradeelite

— Amy Karam (@AmyKaram) August 17, 2017

A4. It’s always about finding a niche product / service that makes lives easier. @offsetmarket found one! #TradeElite

— audrey ross (@tresAudrey) August 17, 2017

#TradeElite A4: Google “Fast Expanding Markets” (FEMs), great concept and interesting opportunities. Credit to @Exp_Mark @Terencecmtse

— Marcos Vaena (@MarcosVaena) August 17, 2017

Are there any markets that may challenge the BRICS in terms of import/export opportunities for global businesses?

A5. Sorry – Brazil & Russia are not markets you want to be in right now. South Africa good market. Indonesia, volatile. #TradeElite

— audrey ross (@tresAudrey) August 17, 2017

A5. IMHO BRICS is dead. Move on to CIVETS (Columbia/Indonesia/Vietnam/Egypt/Turkey/South Africa) (ok, except Egypt). #TradeElite

— audrey ross (@tresAudrey) August 17, 2017

A5 BRIC sounds fancy and got good marketing, but they are just 4 of 100s of markets out there, ready for your products/services #tradeelite

— Jyll Saskin Gales (@jyllsaskingales) August 17, 2017

A5 No “one size fits all” magic market for everyone, depends on your business goals. Lots of data out there to inform decisions! #tradeelite

— Jyll Saskin Gales (@jyllsaskingales) August 17, 2017

A5. Big question. Having worked a lot with the I in BRICS, there is a lot to go after! Not easy to unlock but tough to ignore #TradeElite

— Adrian Mutton (@adrianmutton) August 17, 2017

#TradeElite A5: Size of market not always the answer. Many firms go for niche and specialization. Finding your right market “fit” is key!

— Marcos Vaena (@MarcosVaena) August 17, 2017

In your view, do the opportunities of tomorrow’s global marketplace outweigh the challenges for those just getting started?

#TradeElite A6: Born-global SMEs show that the sky is the limit. Digital is a great equalizer, lower barriers n levels playing field 4 SMEs

— Marcos Vaena (@MarcosVaena) August 17, 2017

A6. Yes. There are so many resources to help you & it’s worth it. #TradeElite

— audrey ross (@tresAudrey) August 17, 2017

A6: absolutely. its an indisputable necessity to pursue tomorrow’s global mkts despite the challenges. else #leftbehind #tradeelite

— Amy Karam (@AmyKaram) August 17, 2017

Any other thoughts you’d like to share on tomorrow’s global marketplace?

#TradeElite A7: Check out the “DRIVE” framework at https://t.co/x6NyJwgnJB great resource on future-proofing your business @Exp_Mark

— Marcos Vaena (@MarcosVaena) August 17, 2017

A7: the world is becoming smaller, so we hope everyone starts to jump in and participate. #tradeelite

— OMX (@offsetmarket) August 17, 2017

A7. The ONLY way to succeed in #GlobalBiz is to be @FITTNews Your Future in Global Markets conference Oct 2-4 Ottawa. #TradeElite

— audrey ross (@tresAudrey) August 17, 2017

Thanks Audrey! We won’t say ONLY, but it will help for sure! #TradeElite #YourFuture2017 https://t.co/hHoSHXBpFA https://t.co/ZgETejVgoj

— FITT (@FITTNews) August 17, 2017

Read the rest of the chat and follow future discussions by following the #TradeElite hashtag. Stay tuned for the next #TradeElite chat, coming up Thursday, September 14 at 2:30-3:30PM ET.

The post The biggest threats and opportunities in tomorrow’s global marketplace appeared first on Trade Ready.

An interesting topic came up during April’s #TradeElite chat on the future of agriculture – women’s roles in the global value chain and the unique challenges they face worldwide. We decided this was a major topic for discussion, well worth investigating further.

To do that, we rounded up some of the most influential voices we could find who are not only experts on the topic, but who deal with women’s issues, working to improve their lives daily.

We were thrilled at the interest we received and what followed was a fascinating discussion with some of the most insightful responses you will see in 140 characters. At FITT, we’re not done exploring this important topic, but for now, enjoy the recap of our Twitter chat below.

Moderator: Clarecia Christie, CITP|FIBP (@ClareciaChriste), Project Manager and Team Lead, Trade Information Services at Trade Facilitation Office of Canada, based out of Ottawa, Ontario.

Panelists:

Vanessa Erogbogbo (@VErogbogbo), Head of Programme at the International Trade Centre, based in Geneva, Switzerland

Kara Klassen (@KaraKlassen), Project Manager, Women’s Economic Opportunities at Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), based in Kitchener, Ontario

Idalia Obregon (@Idalia_Obregon), Executive Director at Belgian Canadian Business Chamber, based in Toronto, Ontario

Leah Goold-Haws (@LeahGlobal), Director, Global Trade & Logistics at Long Beach City College and Founder of Girls Gone Global, based in Los Angeles, California

Andrea Ewart (@developtradelaw), International Trade Attorney & Consultant at DevelopTradeLaw, LLC and President of Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT), based in Washington, D.C.

A1: Business owned by women grow faster, and generate 3 times more jobs compared to non-minority businesses owned #TradeElite

— Idalia Obregon (@idalia_obregon) June 2, 2016

What are some of the biggest challenges women face in the global value chain workforce around the world?

A2. Women lack good role models within communities, & can’t always access opportunities to reach participation in #GBV itself. #tradeelite

— Kara Klassen (@karaklassen) June 2, 2016

we want to see those numbers go up #tradeelite https://t.co/2R9B3NBNpx

— Caroline Tompkins (@carolineFITT) June 2, 2016

How are gender inequalities around the world affecting women’s roles in the GVC?

A3: As women gain access to greater roles/pay we can reach out to women globally and lift all ships. This is best path 2 change #tradeelite

— Leah Goold-Haws (@LeahGlobal) June 2, 2016

A2. Gender inequality written in law 90% of countries at least 1 legal barrier @WorldBank women biz law #TradeElite https://t.co/D7vbSyCWU7

— vanessa erogbogbo (@verogbogbo) June 2, 2016

A3. In developing nations women are primary for “chores”. Even in Cda it’s not 50/50 yet. That’s a huge burden. #TradeElite

— audrey ross (@tresAudrey) June 2, 2016

What market access opportunities exist for women in global value chains today?

What tools are in place to inform women of opportunities along a company’s value chain(s)?

@jennmuch freed up resources can fill gaps and provide access to rural areas #tradeelite

— Caroline Tompkins (@carolineFITT) June 2, 2016

Do you think businesses should be incentivised to include women in their GVC or should it be a CSR tool?

Q8: CSR is a great incentive, especially if combined with women buying power. We’ll buy from you because you buy from women #TradeElite

— Andrea Ewart (@developtradelaw) June 2, 2016

What are some of the risks for women in businesses new to accessing GVCs?

A9. Being over-charged. Not negotiating or questioning prices & services. Push back! Don’t accept 2nd best #TradeElite

— audrey ross (@tresAudrey) June 2, 2016

Read the rest of the chat and follow future discussions by following the #TradeElite hashtag.

Stay tuned for the next #TradeElite chat, coming up Thursday, July 7 at 2:30-3:30PM ET.

The post What are the opportunities, challenges and issues women face in the global value chain? appeared first on Trade Ready.

I first became interested in trade during my time at business school in the Netherlands. The experience opened my eyes to many of the non-tariff barriers that enterprises face in reaching export markets and how businesses from a “small country” can actively participate in international trade.

My time in the Netherlands inspired me to dedicate my career to promoting international trade.

The road to working in the UN system, and for the International Trade Centre specifically, was the result of a move from the private sector to employment with two national governments.

Although I enjoyed my employment experiences with both SMEs and larger enterprises, I have always been interested in what makes for a strong, domestic, “enabling environment” for businesses and how to effectively promote trade.

I therefore began my career in trade promotion with the Australian Trade Commission in 2007, and subsequently worked for the Canadian government in 2010.

The motivation to assist enterprises in developing economies

During my early work in trade promotion I witnessed the important connection between business success and the level of international trading activity of SMEs in developed countries (particularly in Canada, given its small domestic population and the likelihood of market saturation).

I realized that, in many cases, these   enterprises have significant advantages, including highly developed infrastructure, less ambiguous regulatory requirements, and established trade support institutions.

This realization motivated me to work on behalf of developing country sectors to increase their competitiveness, especially producers in WTO member states that are highly exposed to the exports of developed countries.

Trade promotion organizations play a vital part in trade development

Some developed countries are fortunate to have highly successful trade promotion organizations.

I believe Canada’s federal trade-bodies, Export Development Canada (EDC) and the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS), have benefited significantly from FITT’s role as a training partner.

Unlike purely academic programs, the FITT program gives students practical information on the different aspects of exporting (e.g. trade finance, marketing, etc.). Although trade theory is important, and forms most of the legal bases for the rules of trade, being able to navigate and comply with export requirements is an essential skill.

On the multilateral level, United Nations agencies like ITC are important to improving the capacity of developing country exporters to trade internationally. This led me to ITC.

The team at ITC responsible for value chain development, in both product and services sectors, has been actively compiling the needs expressed by project beneficiaries for over a decade.

A number of colleagues and I have been analysing this large body of qualitative information to gain better insight into what the most common needs are in different sectors and regions.

Using a content analysis methodology, we were able to quantify these needs, and we intend to publish our initial results on the ITC website in the coming months.

Understanding a complex development challenge

Throughout my career, I’ve realized that with both general and specific education comes another challenge: engaging with audiences that expect simple answers to complex problems. My thesis represents an extension of my work at ITC. I’ve always been interested in the role of technology and innovation for development.

In my thesis, I am examining the impact of donor programs for “appropriate technology” transfer. In particular, I am looking at the transfer of small-scale peanut processing technology to communities in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

In the 1970’s, SSA had approximately 90% of the global market share for peanuts. Today, this market share has fallen to about 5%. The fall in peanut exports can be partially attributed to developed country import bans on food contaminated with aflatoxin, a carcinogenic chemical produced by mould growth as a result of moisture and humidity. Some of the moisture related issues have to due with manual shelling activities.

Improved processing may enable these producer countries to reclaim some of their world market share, and also improve national public health.

I believe my thesis topic addresses an important area at the apex of technology, trade and development.

I intend to continue to work in my thesis area, agri-food sector development within the UN/WTO system, but also to expand my consulting business further. I’m also pursuing more “entrepreneurial activities” in the IT, clean tech, and agricultural technology spaces.

International trade is a field of continuous learning

One of the biggest challenges in my career has been the continuous learning required to understand the multifaceted nature of international trade. After completing the course-based Master of International Trade from the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan, I continued to work.

Even after completing a Master’s, I wanted to explore a specific area in greater depth. This led me to pursue a second, thesis-based, master’s degree with a specialization in international development. Given the strength of the University of Saskatchewan in all disciplines related to agriculture, I applied to a thesis-based Master of Arts program.

Upon acceptance, I was offered a graduate fellowship with the faculty of Political Studies. The fellowship entailed completing research for the faculty, grading the work of undergraduates, and other responsibilities. I also won several graduate awards that will contribute toward funding my fieldwork.

Completing my first master’s degree, earning my CITP designation in 2013, and, more recently, receiving a graduate fellowship have been among my proudest achievements in my educational career.

The ‘VALUE’ of a designation

Being a CITP has given me practical knowledge and skills related to trade. I’ve heard people mention certifications in any field as “not adding any value” in helping them “sell themselves”.

In my opinion, the value of a professional designation lies not in the paper received as a means to “get a job”, but as a way that your knowledge can be recognized by fellow professionals.

That being said, it has been good to see the designation included in position advertisements with federal government agencies involved in trade and export development.

I have also had the opportunity to connect with other international trade professionals through the FITT community by being featured in an article on TradeReady.ca and participating as a panellist in #TradeElite Twitter chats.

I am excited to continue to be active in the FITT community, participating in Twitter chats, as either a host or panelist, and look forward to networking with my fellow professionals in the future.

The post How I am leveraging my education and experience for trade impact appeared first on Trade Ready.