CAREC Trade Insights and News | Issue 4 | October-December 2022

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  Issue no. 4 | October-December 2022INSIGHTSWHAT’S NEXT3rd Meeting of the CAREC Regional Working Group (RWG) on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures, Strategic Directions Planning and TA 9500 Closing Workshop (23-25 January 2023, Tbilisi, hybrid). The 3rd Meeting of the CAREC RWG on SPS will (i) discuss the implementation progress of the CAREC Common Agenda for Modernization of SPS Measures for Trade, specifically the activities implemented under the TA 9500: Modernizing Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures to Facilitate Trade; and (ii) deliberate on SPS initiatives to enhance market access, facilitate safe trade and help countries participate in global value chains. The meeting will endorse the SPS Workplan, which will be incorporated in the CAREC Integrated Trade Agenda 2030’s Rolling Strategic Action Plan 2023-2025. Register here.
 CAREC Regional Training of Trainers course on FTAs (26-28 January 2023, Tbilisi). The course is developed to train representatives from the government, academic and research institutions from each CAREC country, empowering them with technical and practical skills that they can integrate in their own local context, domestic policy and institutional settings. The 2nd phase of the training will be a 3-day workshop, in hybrid format to be held in Tbilisi on 26-28 January 2023. 
Georgia: National Workshop on potential CAREC-wide FTA (30 January 2023, Tbilisi). The objective of the workshop is to contribute to the raising awareness in the CAREC region and potential effects of the CAREC wide FTA. It will launch a national public discussion with target national stakeholders on public, private, labor unions, civil society and other interested parties.
 CAREC Workshop on Statistics on International Trade in Services and E-commerce Statistics for Mongolia (March 2023, Ulaanbaatar). The workshop will train agencies that collect, process and use statistics on the concepts of trade in services and digital economy, methodologies for their measurement, data collection and sources, as well as dissemination and analysis.
 Georgia: Capacity Building on Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records  (April 2023, Tbilisi). The Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR), developed by United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), aims to address the key roadblock in the transition to paperless trade. This session is addressed to policy makers, including the Central Bank of Georgia, as well as other relevant private sector stakeholders assessing the potential championing of MLETR adoption.For more information, please contact CAREC.trade@adb.org
 PROJECT / TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FEATURES20th Year of Customs Cooperation in CAREC Commemorating the 20th year since the establishment of the CAREC Customs Cooperation Committee, the video highlights key accomplishments in customs modernization and facilitating trade over the last two decades. 
 
Read the CCC Statement (EnglishRussian).
 
Watch the Video.KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTS AND SERVICESProgress in Trade Facilitation in CAREC Countries: A 10-Year Corridor Performance Measurement and Monitoring Perspective
 
This report discusses progress made by the CAREC Program’s trade facilitation efforts from 2010 to 2020 and evaluates the efficiency of cross-border trade across six CAREC transport corridors. Using the results of Corridor Performance Measurement and Monitoring (CPMM) tool, it outlines the disruption caused by COVID-19 and details steps by the 11 CAREC member countries to facilitate trade, bolster cooperation, and boost connectivity. Analyzing outstanding challenges and opportunities, it prescribes possible actions to remove important structural barriers to enable the efficient flow of goods and unlock growth for the region. Read more.PARTNERSHIP FEATURESADB is collaborating with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat and ePhyto Solution Industry Advisory Group to discuss how Pakistan Single Window could be linked with IPPC’s ePhyto Solutions. If successful, Pakistan will join the PRC and Uzbekistan among CAREC members who are exchanging electronic phytosanitary certificates. Read more
 People’s Republic of China Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund: Annual Report 2021. This report details the technical assistance and grants provided by the People’s Republic of China Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund (PRC Fund) in 2021 to lift economic and social development and spur regional cooperation.Knowledge Sharing Modules on CAREC Trade: Gravity Modeling and its Applications. The main objective of this course is to share knowledge modules, digital learning materials and products related to Gravity Modeling with CAREC senior officials, experts, and decision influencers; to enhance the capacity and analytical skills of participants in effectively handling issues and bottlenecks in trade using the gravity model; and to support member countries in the development of regional cooperation initiatives. Visit the CAREC Institute’s E-learning Platform. The CAREC Program is cooperating with ADB and International Chamber of Commerce’s Digital Standards Initiative to promote the adoption of UNCITRAL’s Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR). In December 2022, a seminar, with more than 120 participants primarily from the PRC, highlighted the critical role of MLETR in trade digitalization as well as in ensuring inclusion, sustainability, and resilience. Among the CAREC members, the PRC and Georgia expressed interest to receive support as pilot countries in developing the roadmap for reforms and adoption of MLETR.Useful LinksCAREC Integrated Trade Agenda 2030CAREC Program WebsiteCAREC Trade Information Portal
Contact Us
CAREC.Trade@adb.org

Cofinancing Partners 
CAREC trade activities are supported by Regional Cooperation and Integration FundPeople’s Republic of China Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation FundUnited Kingdom Fund for Asia Regional Trade and Connectivity, and Republic of Korea e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund.