The GTZ Trade Programme provides technical expertise on trade-related issues to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and policy makers in developing countries. We support the BMZ in the representation of development policy positions in international trade fora. Topics covered include trade and agricultural trade policy, trade in services, EU trade policy such as the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA), commodity trade, food quality and safety, and trade related intellectual property rights (TRIPS). For more information on these issues, please refer to the section “Range of Services”. Activities include the preparation of concept and position papers on current trade topics, the analysis of the development impact of trade reforms, the monitoring of bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations, and the dissemination of information on trade-related issues (e.g. through newsletters, regional trade briefs, workshops, and seminars).

The GTZ Trade Programme moreover works on developing new concepts and instruments with regard to Aid for Trade and to the mainstreaming of trade-related issues in German Development Cooperation. We develop innovative approaches and tools of trade-related assistance and support the BMZ in the integration of these instruments into bilateral development cooperation programmes. This work is based on long-standing experience derived from GTZ activities in a range of developing countries. We cooperate closely with GTZ’s projects abroad, collect and evaluate experiences and assist in their systematic dissemination. We are also part of a global network that exchanges information, good practices, research and innovations relevant for trade and development.