Undertaking Supply and Demand Surveys for the Promotion of South-South Trade: an ITC methodology

As part of its technical assistance to this process, ITC has adapted selected methodologies to better assess the potential for South-South trade and assist countries and enterprises in accessing their regional markets. The approach comprises three stages:

• The first is the identification of import/export opportunities through statistical analyses of trade flows among countries in a given region and the rest of the world, providing data on products that the countries have to offer or need on a sector by sector basis and that in theory have intra-regional trade potential.
• The second stage is to undertake more detailed field research to establish what the target market needs, to identify the specific demand and supply characteristics by sector, to determine what the normative requirements are in the target market, etc. Thus confirming these opportunities through in-depth supply and demand surveys for the most dynamic product sectors.
• The third stage is to disseminate this information to the target groups for their use as well as to trade and business organizations and to facilitate business. That is, translating these opportunities into business by bringing the potential importers and exporters together in a buyers/sellers meeting, and providing them with a forum to transact business.

This is followed up by complementary trade promotion activities, including support at the enterprise level in product and market development, marketing missions, trade fairs and training events. The purpose of this document is to provide guidelines on how to undertake market research - supply and demand surveys - using a methodology thathas been tested and validated by the International Trade Centre UNCTAD/WTO (ITC) and which responds to the trade information needs of export and import enterprises in developing countries. This methodology is proposed to trade organizations who act as facilitators in the promotion of trade among developing countries. This technical module forms part of an integrated programme of technical assistance proposed by ITC within the framework of its programme for the promotion of South-South trade.