Technical Assistance to Trade Colombia

The rationale for this project is that Colombian exports are not able to be competitive in international markets because trade-related institutions in Colombia do not interact effectively at international fora and fail to incorporate nationally international requirements, thus indirectly creating conditions that hamper Colombian exports.

This project is designed to provide support to a range of institutions, dependent from or interacting with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (MCIT), whose range of activities affected directly or indirectly the competitiveness of Colombian present or potential exporters. The project provided them with advisory in order to help them meet their international commitments, increase their staff capacities and enhance their work processes, regulations and standards so as to improve their overall performance and improve their work.

The project support is a combination of:

• A project coordination unit within the Ministry, staffed with a small team fully dedicated to project coordination
• Advisory and training, through several services contracts
• Study trips
• Equipment for highly specialised areas
• Design and implementation of a communications and visibility plan for the project
• Grants to non-profit institutions to exemplify the successful overcome of non-tariff barriers to trade
• The Contract awarded to EQUINOCCIO represents over 70% of all services contracts, being the key instrument to provide direct assistance to beneficiary institutions.