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3/5/24, 10:06 AM New report on SME participation in global trade launched during MC13 in Abu Dhabi - Aletihad News Center
A new report on the importance of enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate more fully in

international trade has been launched during an event at the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade

Organisation (WTO) in Abu Dhabi today.

The report, titled “Inclusive Global Trade: Enabling SMEs”, was authored by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies

and Research in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Economy. It outlines the challenges faced by SMEs in
accessing global supply chains and offers a series of policies and programs that governments around the world can

introduce to overcome them.

According to the report, one of the principal obstacles to SME participation in global trade is finance. SMEs in

developing nations face a combined funding gap in excess of US$5.2 trillion annually, a problem that is even more

acute for women-owned businesses. The report also noted that many SMEs are part of the informal economy and lack

access to technology, logistics, certification programs and skilled job seekers.

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